You’ve probably seen gnarled, colorful tomatoes in the supermarket produce section, perhaps off-season, labeled “heirloom.” They may look enough like the real thing, but you won’t get the full story ...

From seed catalogs and roadside stands to menus, we often see the phrase “heirloom tomato.” Let’s look at what the term heirloom means, and the differences between heirloom and hybrid tomatoes.