How to Understand the Health Benefits of Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirlooms are tomatoes grown from seeds that are at least fifty years old. The seeds used to grow heirloom tomatoes may have been passed down through many generations within a family, making them a special acquisition. Heirloom tomatoes are also open pollinated meaning that pollination occurs naturally by birds and insects, rather than artificially. This creates a greater degree of diversity among the plants that are produced. What are the benefits of heirloom tomatoes over standard ones?

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Instructions

1. They’re usually grown by small scale farmers
   
   Heirloom tomatoes are not a product of large agricultural operations, but grown at the hands of small, independent farmers. These farmers take pride in what they’re producing, unlike large-scale operations that focus only on the bottom line.

2. They’re environmentally friendly
   
   Because heirloom tomatoes are open pollinated, they produce offspring that are more bio-diverse. With big agriculture increasingly moving towards producing homogenous and genetically engineered produce, heirloom tomatoes are still a product of nature. You can find hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes each with its own unique color, size, and taste characteristics. When you pop one in your mouth you’ll know you’re eating something lovingly crafted by nature’s gentle hands.

3. They’re more flavorful
   
   Standard tomatoes are usually picked when they’re green in the field and transported hundreds of miles to supermarkets before they’ve ripened. Along the way they may be sprayed with chemicals to speed up the ripening process. In contrast, heirloom tomatoes arrive at farmer’s markets where they were allowed to ripen on the vine and then handpicked a day before reaching their destination. In addition they have been bred for taste rather than for uniformity of size and shape like so many commercial tomatoes. This gives them a richer, more complex flavor than their commercial counterparts.

4. How can you get the benefits of heirloom tomatoes? Add them to salads and sandwiches, or use them to make tomato sauce for your recipes. The heat will help to release the heart healthy lycopenes that make tomatoes such a nutritious form of produce. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can grow your own heirloom tomatoes from seeds offered by various companies online. So, if you’re ready for a tasty, environmentally friendly vegetable, give heirloom tomatoes a try. It’s a choice you can be proud of.