Heirloom tomato

[3] Heirloom tomato cultivars can be found in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors, and sizes.

Some of the most famous examples include Aunt Ruby's German Green, Banana Legs, Big Rainbow, Black Krim, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Chocolate Cherry, Costoluto Genovese, Garden Peach, Gardener's Delight, Green Zebra, Hawaiian Pineapple, Hillbilly, Lollypop, Marglobe, Matt's Wild Cherry, Mortgage Lifter, Mr. Stripey, Neville Tomatoes, Paul Robeson, Pruden's Purple, Red Currant, San Marzano, Silvery Fir Tree, Three Sisters, and Yellow Pear.

Both sides of the DNA in an heirloom variety come from a common stable cultivar.

Seed should be saved from tomatoes picked from several different plants throughout the growing season that are true to type to preserve genetic diversity.

The first method is to let the tomato ripen completely, even to the point of beginning to rot, and then remove the seeds with a spoon and spread them on a piece of cloth or paper to dry.

Seeds should be dated, labeled, and stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.