First, let me say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and every tomato is beautiful in its own special way. Some might say the unique appearance of an heirloom tomato gives it a lovable charm. But really...Morgan wants to know, “Why are Heirloom Tomatoes so ugly?”
The short answer is: an heirloom tomato is not genetically modified allowing the mother plant to produce one-of-a-kind fruit as nature intended. They simply are not lab produced tomatoes modified to have the same predictable appearance and longer shelf life. (Heirloom, open-pollinated, non-gmo & non-hybrid seeds)
An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, heritage fruit, or heirloom vegetable is an old cultivar of a plant used for food that is grown and maintained by gardeners and farmers, particularly in isolated or ethnic minority communities of the Western world. - Wikipedia
Benefits of Heirloom Seeds
Heirloom seeds have an interesting, and (very) colorful past! You see, heirlooms are old - relatively speaking, and because of that they often have a unique associated history.
- Heirloom tomatoes have stood the test of time. Many families pass down their favorite varieties for generations, and for good reason. These heirlooms have tremendous flavor, and sometimes even beauty and hardiness.
- Save your heirloom seeds year after year! Once a plant is pollinated then it can produce seeds. These seeds then grown into plants that have the same characteristics as the one it came from.
- Heirlooms, by definition, are non-GMO. If an heirloom is genetically modified, then it is no longer a true heirloom. The same isn't always true of organic though...
- Heirloom seeds CAN be organic. Because the term organic is strictly controlled by the USDA's National Organic Program, seeds must be grown in organic soil and only use fertilizers and pest controls that are allowed by the program. Naturally, not all heirloom seeds are grown under these conditions, and therefore can't be assumed to be organic.