By Michael Nolan

As much as I adore tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, there are certain heirloom tomato varieties that simply do not do well in the hot Alabama summer sun.

As I have received quite a few questions about this topic recently, I decided to give you a short list of a few heirloom tomato varieties that tend to have better results in certain climates. I am intentionally calling attention to varieties that I have not yet covered on Tomato Casual:

Heirloom Tomatoes for Hot Weather Climates

• Aunt Ruby’s Green – a long time favorite that originated in Tennessee, these beauties are light green, often with yellow stripes. They are flatter than they are round, and an excellent choice for fried green tomatoes.

• Cosoluto Genovese – originally from Italy Read the rest of this entry »
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Part One: Heirlooms For Everyone! A Guide to Choosing Tomato Seeds

By Kira Hamman

As much as we all love seed catalogs, they can be a touch overwhelming at times.

Seventy-four varieties of heirloom tomatoes? Really? How can anyone ever choose?

Here’s help, in the form of an annotated guide to six fantastic varieties. Grow one, grow them all, ignore this list completely – the choice is up to you. But place your seed order quick, because it’s time to get started!

1. Brandywine: The Platonic ideal of tomato. Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

The beauty of heirloom tomatoes reaches far beyond the dinner table and into history itself.

They are a breath of fresh air in today’s world of genetically mutated plants that foster family and friendship.

Heirloom seeds are truly by the people, for the people. They are not mass manufactured and sold in every store, instead being handed down by generations of real people who value taste and purity over appearance.

In the early 1940s, a man without any formal education who went by the name of “Radiator Charlie” decided that he wanted to create a better tomato. Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

Tomato Casual reader Giorgio Nero would like to know:

Where can I buy about 100 cases of heirloom - or similarly tasting, sun-grown - tomatoes during the winter months. I need them in New York City and refuse to buy the available tasteless winter product.

This is an excellent question and a valid concern; no one likes a bland tomato!

To find the answer, we went straight to some of the most reliable sources we could think of—the finest restaurants of New York City.

We found that over 200 restaurants in the Big Apple, including The Four Seasons, get their tomatoes from Sid Wainer & Son® in New Bedford, Massachusetts. President of the company, Dr. Henry B. Wainer informed us that their heirloom season is as follows:
Read the rest of this entry »

By Tomato Queen

This year has been my first experience cultivating the purple Cherokee heirloom, and so far, my impression is that it’s a little bit precious.

According to Slow Food USA, that may be because it’s a bit endangered.

First off, imagine my surprise to only find twelve seeds in an itty bitty packet. Granted, you might expect to pay more for a packet of organic heirlooms.

But these are more precious than your average heirloom.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Amelia Tucker

With the season drawing to a close, you should know which plants grew the best this year.

Why not save those seeds and get a jump start on next year’s gardening?

It is easy to do and you will be saving the seeds from the plants that grew best in your particular area, ensuring a better harvest every time.

Here is what you do:

Read the rest of this entry »