Interesting Facts About Heirloom Vegetables

Heirloom Vegetables have existed before the discovery of the New World. These vegetables are grown today to keep people in touch with there ancestry. They offer a wide variety of sizes, tastes, colors and shapes, than the hybridized varieties bred to meet the needs of the commercial growers do. Not sure what a Heirloom Vegetable is, here is a list to help.

Heirloom Beans have been around since before the 1600's. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes ans types. There are Yard Long, Black Valentine String less, Jacob's Cattle, Soldier, Sieva Lima, Kentucky Wonder and Scarlet Runner Beans to name a few.

Beets date back to the first century A.D. Early European settlers brought them to America. Heirloom Beets include the Chioggia, Crosby's Egyptian, Detroit Dark Red, Early Blood Turnip and Lutz Green Leaf.

The Cabbage was extremely popular in the mid-19th century. Here are some heirloom cabbages, Danish Ballhead, Early Flat Dutch, Early Jersey Wakefield, Mammoth Red Rock, Premium Flat Dutch and Winningstadt.

Nearly all modern carrots are descendent's from two types, the Long Orange Carrot and the Horn Carrot. Both varieties are recorded as early as the 1600's, and were among the first vegetables introduced into North America by early colonists. There are Chantenay Red Core Carrots, Danvers Half Long, Early Scarlet Horn, Long Orange and Oxheart Heirloom Carrots.

Early settlers found American Indian tribes cultivating varieties of the grain they called maize. The earliest corns were grown for grinding into cornmeal. Heirloom corns offer a wide choice of plant types, color and taste. Heirloom Corns, Popcorn's and Flour Corns include Black Mexican, Country Gentleman, Six Shooter, Lady Finger, Hopi Blue Flint, Hopi Yellow and Mandan Bride as well as others.

Cucumbers are among the oldest cultivated vegetable in the world. "Cowcumbers" as they were sometimes called, were common in colonial American gardens. Bothby's Blond, Bostob Pickling, Early Cluster, Improved Long Green, Longfellow, West India Gherkin and While Wonder are all Heirloom Cucumbers.

The Heirloom muskmelons and watermelons offer Superior flavor and aroma when eaten fresh, at peak ripeness. Most varieties ripen in 90 days making them suitable for northern growing seasons. Heirloom muskmelons include Cassaba, Hale's Best, Jenny Lind, Nutmeg and Rocky Ford. Watermelons include Citron Preserving Melon, Ice Cream, Kleckley Sweets, Moon and Stars, Mountain Hoosier Nancy, Strawberry and Tom Watson.

Heirloom onions offer home gardeners a wide variety of flavor, sizes, colors, as well as excellent keeping quality in the winter. There is the Egyptian, London Flag Leek, Scotland Leek, Southport White Globe, Southport Yellow Glob and White Portugal to mention a few.

Peas are on of the most ancient of vegetables, with evidence of cultivation dating back to 7000 B.C. Heirloom Peas include the following varieties, Alaska, Alderman, Dwarf Gray Sugar, Lincoln, Little Marvel, Mammoth Melting Sugar, Thomas Laxton and Wando.

The potato originated in South America, from the the Spanish explorers introduced it to Europe. Heirloom potatoes come in a wide array of shapes and colors as well as types. There are the blue/purple varieties like Caribe, Cowhom and Fenton Blue. Fingerlings such as Anna Cheeka's Ozette, Banana, Lady Finger and Russian. The red/pink varieties are Early Ohio, Early Rose and Garret Chile, and the standard varieties, Burbank, Green Mountain, Irish Cobbler, and Katahdin.

The round orange vegetable cultivated for pies and decorative jack-o-lanterns, is known in America, as the pumpkin. Heirloom pumpkins are Connecticut Field, Landreth Cheese, Magalena Big Cheese, New England Pie and Rough Vif D'Etampes.

Radishes were more important in garden culture in the past then they are now. Egyptians inscribed radishes on the walls of pyramids and the Greeks offered radishes made of gold to Apollo. Heirloom Spring variety include Early Scarlet Turnip, French Breakfast and White Icicle. Winter varieties include China Rose, Long Black Spanish and Round Black Spanish.

Root Vegetables were popular in the 18th and 19th century gardens. Heirloom Parsnip, Scorzonera and Salsify roots include Student Parsnip, Hollow Crown Parsnip, Scorzonera and Mammoth Sandwich Island Salsify.

Lettuce, spinach and cresses were often ate cooked rather than raw, up until the 19th century. A few heirloom lettuces are Black Seeded Simpson, Deer Tongue, Oak leaf, Tennis Ball and Tom Thumb. Heirloom spinach include Bloomsdale Long Standing, New Zealand Spinach and Prickly Seeded Spinach.

Native to the New World, summer and winter squashes vary in size and varieties. Heirloom Summer bush varieties are Early Yellow Crookneck, White Bush Scallop and Yellow Bush Scallop. Long-vining winter varieties include Boston Marrow, Neck Pumpkin, Seminole, Turks Turban and a few others.

Heirloom tomatoes date from the late 19th century to the 1930's. A few are Abraham Lincoln, Amish Paste, Big Rainbow, Burbank, German Johnson, Oxheart and Rutgers, to name just a few.

Turnips and Rutabagas are ancient vegetables brought to the New World with the earliest explorers. Heirloom turnips are Purple Top Strapleaf, Purple Top White Globe and White Egg. Heirloom rutabagas are American Purple Top and Gilfeather.

If you are interested in adding any of these Heirloom Vegetables to our garden, look for them at seed exchange societies, botanical gardens, catalogs or on line.