A Modern Tomato Vs. 150-Year-Old Heirloom

A lot of the tomatoes we consume today (at least those bought at groceries) are hybrids. That means they’re a mix of two variants that marry the best qualities of their parent plants. This usually leads to bigger, more consistent, and better-looking harvests.

That’s why the tomato on the left looks more appealing than the one on the right, which was grown from a 150-year-old heirloom believed to be Cherokee Purple seeds. Thus, the fruit was more prone to physical defects. The good news, though, is that these shortcomings have no impact on the tomato’s taste.