Now’s the time to seek out delightful heirloom tomatoes

CONCORD, CA (July 16, 2024) — For those who appreciate a tomato in its simplest, most delicious form, the arrival of summer’s exquisite heirloom tomatoes is a yearly delight.

Farmers are harvesting them now, so you can look forward to the wonderful colors, shapes, sizes and flavors of these beauties at your local farmers market. The rain we had this last winter was a boon to production and growth, leaving farmers with a bountiful crop.

An heirloom tomato is generally considered to be a variety passed down through several generations because of its valued characteristics such as flavor, growth habits and ease of production. They are “open-pollinated” tomatoes as opposed to today’s hybrids.

Types with long histories include Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra, Jubilee and German Green. Each variety is unique, with sometimes contorted, fun shapes and gorgeous colors. They range in size from tiny cherry tomatoes to gigantic Cherokee Purples.

Heirloom tomatoes do not usually travel well because of their thin skins. They also have a shorter shelf life than conventional tomatoes, thus they are ideally suited for local farmers to grow because they can quickly bring them to market once they are ripe.

You’ll find only the best and most flavorful heirloom tomatoes at the local farmers market. There will be so many varieties and so many gorgeous colors from which to choose. Make a Caprese salad with big slabs of Brandywines, a tomato pie with German Greens or try these Oven Sundried Tomatoes using colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Oven Sundried Tomatoes

• 2-3 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes in yellow, orange, red and purple
• Fine salt or garlic salt
• Dried basil (optional)
• Olive oil

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 225. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Cut tomatoes in half and arrange cut-side up, closely together, in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt or garlic salt and dried basil if desired. Go easy on the salt as the tomatoes get saltier when dehydrated.

Bake 4-5 hours. Check toward the last half hour to see if they are soft, shriveled and leathery.

Let cool thoroughly. Pack in a jar and fill it with enough olive oil to cover.

They should last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

The Concord Farmers Market takes place in Todos Santos Plaza every Tuesday from 10 AM to 2 PM. In the summer, they add a second market Thursday afternoons from 4-8 PM until Sept. 26, 2024. For more information visit pcfma.org