Grow your Own Heirloom Tomatoes, Now!

For about the price of ONE delicious Heirloom tomato from a farm market, you can buy an entire plant that will yield dozens of delicious home grown treats! Now is a great time to get started!

Tim Stark, author of Heirloom talks about Cherokee Purple, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Red Brandywine:

More juicy tomato info from Chef Joe Palombo of Mirabella Café , Cherry Hill, NJ. Joe discusses Brandywine, Pineapple, Cherokee Purple, Costolutto Genovese, Juan Flamme, Jersey Devil, Persimmon, Ramapo varieties.

Located just outside of Stockton, New Jersey, Cross Country Nurseries, aka ChilePlants.com is an incredible source of quality chiles, peppers, and tomato plants. Order online for pick up or delivery. The retail store can’t possibly display the thousands of varieties of plants available, online ordering will give you the widest selection.

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Tomato Fest’s Top 10 list of varieties to grow:

Brandywine (pink), Paul Robeson (purple/black), Aussie (red), Julia Child (pink), Cherokee Purple (purple/black), Black Cherry (purple/black), Kellogg’s Breakfast (orange), Gold Medal (yellow/red striped), Aunt Ginny’s Purple (purple/black), Carmello (red).

Want to grow Heirloom tomatoes from seed? Tomato Fest’s Seed Store is a great resource with over 600 varieties available.

For step by step instructions on how to grow tomatoes using the “Japanese Tomato Ring” method, take a look at our own Deborah Smith’s write up on her experience here. And, for recipe ideas, check out Jersey Bites’ Jersey Tomatoes section.

Tom Kovacevich is in the wholesale fruit and vegetable business in Philadelphia. His company, TMK Produce, distributes top quality produce to retailers and food service companies up and down the east coast. In 2008, Tom started a blog at BestFruitNow.com as a way to share his thoughts on what fruits are best each month. Geared for consumers, BestFruitNow.com also offers tips on how to select and prepare the fruits being recommended. An avid cook, gardener and all around foodie, Tom regularly travels the world meeting with growers ever learning more about his passion for fresh produce.