Exploring the Wonderful World of Peas
Join us as we explore everything you need to know about growing peas! Learn why they’re becoming our favorite fall crop.
Tag: grow your own
Announcing our Fall Garden
The summer season has drawn to a close. The air is crisper, the days are shorter, and the leaves are gearing up for their brilliant display here in East Tennessee.
Our Favorite Heirloom Tomatoes for the 2020 Season
Happiness is a homegrown tomato.
Today I’m sharing our favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes that we’ve grown this garden season. You’ll see these babies sprinkled all over the blog, so I thought I’d give them the proper introduction.
Before I get into it, let’s take a look at what heirlooms are and what makes them special.
we are growing this year.
You’ve probably heard the term heirloom to describe anything of value that is passed on from generation to generation. Did you know the same can be said for seeds? Most heirlooms have been saved and selected because they have the best flavor and production in home and small market gardens. According to southernexposure.com, “heirlooms may carry genes that provide disease resistance or other useful traits we don’t even know we need. Preserving heirloom varieties maintains this gene bank as insurance against future plant diseases or other threats.”
I grow heirlooms primarily for their superior flavor. Hybrid varieties are genetically engineered to produce a predictable product over a wide-range of growing conditions. Growers favor hybrids because of reliable qualities such as size, ship-ability, shelf-life and appearance over flavor. Disease resistance can be engineered into a hybrid crop, but it sometimes sacrifices general quality.
My husband John calls me a “tomato snob” because I simply will not consume your average run-of-the-mill tomato from the grocery store. After growing our own tomatoes for four years, I just can’t! Nothing beats the superior flavor of a tomato you’ve grown yourself. So, without further ado, let’s introduce what we’ve got in the works this season.
First is my all time favorite tomato, Cherokee Purple. Cherokee Purple is a indeterminate (pole) Cherokee Indian variety from over 100 years ago. Allegedly, this cultivar traces back to Sevierville, Tennessee. A great slicer tomato, fruits average approximately 10-14 ounces. These tomatoes are excellent in salsas and enjoyed straight off of the vine. We’ve grown Cherokee Purples every year because I can’t go without them. Nothing says summer quite like biting into one of these tomatoes.
Next, we have the Golden Jubilee tomato, known for its recognizable brilliant goldenrod color. This indeterminate (pole) variety dates from the 1940’s and boasts a very mild and low-acid flavor. I love that Golden Jubilee tomatoes have a smaller seed cavity, resulting in a meatier tomato. The fruits average approximately 6-7 ounces, although some of ours have gotten up to 14 ounces! This is our second year growing this variety.
Third, we have the Sweetie cherry tomatoes. I couldn’t resist getting this indeterminate variety simply because of its cute name! These cherry tomatoes get up to one inch in diameter and are known for their high sugar content. This season, our Sweetie tomatoes have gotten over eight feet tall! We enjoy these cherry tomatoes on salads, sun-dried, and of course, straight off the vine.
Finally, we have Italian Roma tomatoes. This tomato is the absolute champion of the garden. The Roma is a determinate variety, requiring little support and pruning in comparison to the indeterminate varieties. Additionally, Romas contain very few seeds, making them perfect for sauces and canning. Determinate varieties set fruit all at once, which means that you can process them in a short window of time. If you’re looking to take your canning and preserving game to a new level, I’d encourage you to give the Roma a try! You will not be disappointed.
There you have it! Obviously, there are many more heirloom tomato varieties out there, and I encourage you to get adventurous and try as many as you can. Below are some of my favorite websites where you can purchase your own heirloom seeds:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – https://www.rareseeds.com/
Botanical Interests – https://www.botanicalinterests.com/
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – https://www.southernexposure.com/
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