Heirloom or Hybrid – What’s the Difference?

When you think of “regular” tomatoes — you know, those perfectly round gems, crammed into plastic containers in the produce section – those are hybrids. They’ve been genetically created for specific traits: long shelf life, disease resistance, and thick skins. Those are tough tomatoes! They have to be. They endure rough handling and the weight of stacking on the long journey from farm to store. So what’s wrong with all of that? Well, they can be almost tasteless.  Especially since — unless you’ve grown them in your garden — they’ve been picked early.

Heirlooms are grown from seeds handed down through the generations and traced back more than 50 years. Compared to grocery store hybrids, heirlooms are thin skinned and come in irregular shapes and colors. Some people even think they’re ugly! But the real difference is taste. Heirloom tomatoes, picked at their prime, burst with flavor!

Which is better? You decide! Stay tuned and we’ll let you know what’s coming to the market as the season progresses. Yum!