Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Garden bounty including Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Black Krim, Indian Striped and Golden Nuggets

It's been a very long time since my last post. Hopefully the vibrant colour and impact of this post will make up for the recent lack of attendance. 

For the past few years I have been diligently saving tomato seeds; especially the precious heirloom varieties surfacing in local market gardens like rare gems unearthed from relative obscurity. My first inspiration were the Sungolds, a brilliant orange cherry-tomato variety that taste like explosions of radiant sunshine with every mouthful. 

My friend and local organic farmer Milan Djordevich aka The Tomato Man of Stoney Paradise organic farm grows these tasties in abundance, delivering them personally to high-end Kelowna and Vancouver restaurants and selling out at the popular Trout Lake Farmer's Market in Vancouver.

Upon discovery that tomatoes didn't really taste or resemble the tasteless facsimiles found in commercial grocery stores, I started collecting and saving seeds wherever possible and growing my own. I discovered heirloom varieties at Seedy Saturday, an annual seed swap held at Okanagan College in conjunction with the World Community Film Festival. Here, like-minded, conscientious citizens can purchase heirloom and non-GMO seeds. Present at this well attended gathering is an organization called Seeds of Diversity;  "a Canadian volunteer organization that conserves the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of food crops and garden plants." 

Violet Jaspers

With the increasing pressure and power-grab of organizations such as the infamous Monsanto, my interest in seed saving became more of a valued pastime. As if my interest was not piqued enough, one fortuitous afternoon I found a gift deposited in my mailbox. My friend Lori had dropped a small packet containing twelve varieties of heirloom seeds. Along with the varieties I had saved, I embarked on a delicious growing experiment.

Here are my results to date:

Black Zebras will ripen to a deep colour

Most delicious to the tongue and to the eye : Black Krim and Indian Striped

Black Krim, Indian Striped, Persimmon and Nile River Egyptians

Late season varieties ripen well when wrapped in newsprint and stored in a cool place. Be sure to check them often to prevent spoiling of the lot.

heart-shaped Nile River Egyptians

Delicious bounty