Brandywine

Brandywine is an heirloom tomato that can trace its roots back to the late 1800's in the United States. If you read seed catalogs, you will often see terms like "Prolific producer" in the description of the hybrid tomato plants. The Brandywine is the opposite of prolific. It only sets a few fruit per plant, but those fruit are to die for.

Brandywine also reward patience as they are one of the longest tomatoes to get to harvest, up to 100 days in some cases. This year, we are getting a bounty of Brandywine early (like everything else at One Love Farm).

The trick with Brandywine is to stake them well. The plants grow tall with lots of branches and the fruit are heavy, over 1.5 pounds each in some cases. So, the weight can snap branches or pull the whole stake over to the ground if it is not pounded well into the ground. The other key with Brandywine is knowing when to harvest. Unlike the tomatoes you buy in the grocery store, Brandywines tend to be pink, not deep red. IF you wait too long, they become overripe or crack. I recommend harvesting when there is still a little green on the top of the fruit (so called "green shoulders").

Brandywine has a wonderful sweet flavor, but still has the acidic tomato taste that fans love. Use them in a green salad or on sandwiches. They are also fantastic in a Caprese Salad or just sliced with some salt and olive oil!