An Heirloom Tomato Tart Recipe from Waiting On Martha (2024)

FAQs

Are heirloom tomatoes worth the money? ›

Heirloom tomatoes are absolutely worth the price. The amazing and unique flavors that come from heirloom tomatoes are like no other tomatoes I eat during the other eleven months of the year. Now, with that said, do I buy them all the time? No.

Because they're so flavorful, heirloom tomatoes lend themselves to a variety of raw dishes. Snack on them sprinkled with a little salt, or slice and stack 'em between slices of white bread slicked with mayo for a classic tomato sandwich.

Cut tomatoes into ½-inch thick slices, lightly brush with olive oil and grill for a couple minutes or until charred and heated through. Serve in a salad or atop a burger. Also try cutting tomatoes in half and grilling, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs for a quick and easy side dish.

The heirloom season generally runs from late summer into the fall, with local heirlooms first appearing around late July or early August. Below are just a few of the many interesting cultivars you'll find at Union Market, along with tasting notes and serving suggestions.

Heirlooms are particularly susceptible to fungus, which makes them crack and split. Farmers growing heirlooms get one-third the yield (or even less) than they would if they were growing hybrids, because so many plants and fruits are damaged by pests and disease.

Heirloom tomatoes provide a vast number of nutrients including potassium, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate and the cancer fighting antioxidant lycopene. Since they are picked when ripe and spend little time traveling from farm to plate, these nutrients are readily available to nourish your body.

If the tomatoes are not yet ripe, they are best stored on the counter for a few days until they ripen. (You'll know they're ripe when they're fragrant and give a little bit to the touch.) Once they're ripe, either consume them or go ahead and put them in the refrigerator to preserve their freshness.

Tomato 'Rosella Purple'

"The flavor of 'Rosella Purple' is truly outstanding," says LeHoullier. "The ability to get such flavor on a tomato plant easily grown in a 5-gallon pot on a porch or deck is a true advance in the selection of tomatoes possible for space-constrained gardens."

Tomatoes ripen from the bottom up and from the inside out, so to tell when the fruit is going from a mature green stage to ripe, give a slight press to the bottom of the fruit. If the bottom is still hard, let it alone. If it's starting to soften, you're at the beginning of your picking time frame.

When should I pick my heirloom tomatoes? ›

Red varieties should be a deep red when ripe, yellow varieties should be a deep yellow, and so on. Tomatoes ripen from the inside out. A ripe tomato will give slightly to the touch. Be careful not to press too firmly.

Ways to Use Heirloom Tomatoes

Try them in salads like this Heirloom Tomato Salad with Rosemary or this Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Basil. Or use them in place of regular tomatoes in tomato pie or burrata salad. They shine in a BLT, or can be enjoyed simply sliced with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

So, why are heirloom tomatoes more expensive? There aren't as many of them, they need quite a bit of care and time to ripen, and they're hard to ship. Every one of these factors contributes to a higher cost per tomato.

Tomatoes are considered perennials, and as long as they're protected from the frost, they can continue to grow.

Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, which means seeds are taken out of this year's fruit and saved to grow next year's tomatoes. This process will bear the same fruits as this year's—and that's how these varieties have been passed on from generation to generation.

Heirloom tomatoes, on the other hand, are open-pollinated, which means that these plants are pollinated naturally—no genetic modification here. Standard hybrid tomatoes often have a thicker skin than heirloom tomatoes, which are known for their thin, tender skin and juicy flesh.

Loved for their variety of color and flavorful taste, heirloom tomatoes are a feast for the eyes and the palate, whether sliced on a plate or cooked into sauces. What makes heirloom tomatoes so darn special? It turns out these unusual fruits have a backstory just as colorful as the tomatoes themselves.

So, why are heirloom tomatoes more expensive? There aren't as many of them, they need quite a bit of care and time to ripen, and they're hard to ship. Every one of these factors contributes to a higher cost per tomato.

Penn State Extension horticultural educator Steve Bogash has held large public tomato tastings since 2000. "The heirloom tomatoes win every time," he says. Of course, everyone has different tastes, and hybrids (such as Sun Gold) have risen to the top in other taste tests.