Amish Heirloom Tomatoes

I’ll admit that I’ve got a soft spot for anything that says “heirloom”. I’ve always loved history and historic things. I thought that included tomatoes.

I learned last summer that it did not. We purchased several Amish heirloom tomato plants called Brandywine. (Just the name sounds old and unique doesn’t it?!)

They grew fast and well, producing very large, pinkish weird shaped tomatoes. Actually, they looked to me like bulbous noses.

But like my mom used to say, “It’s not what’s on the outside the matters, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” So we ate one, or two. Hmmm.

Then I tried to figure out what to do with 6 plants full of weird looking and weird tasting tomatoes with a very unique texture.

I soon noticed that the tomatoes on the vine were actually starting to rot before they even finished ripening. The smell in that part of the garden was nauseating. We choose to ignore them as if they weren’t even there, until finally accepted defeat and just pulled them up!

We chalked that experience up as education and will never again attempt Brandywine tomatoes.

It did not, however, cure me from trying other heirloom varieties. As l walked through my local Amish nursery this spring I spotted some Hillbilly plants. (Just the name sounds old and unique doesn’t it!)

This time I only purchased one. It’s planted and looking good right now. Stay tuned!