Red Tomatoes

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Once the weather starts getting hot, it’s all we can do to hold out for a garden fresh tomato. The tomatoes found in the supermarket are often picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles to get to Wisconsin, and it’s obvious in their flavor. There’s just something missing in those tomatoes, so it’s worth it to wait.

Early-season and cherry tomatoes will start coming ripe around the 4^th of July, while larger heirloom varieties will ripen in September and October. And that’s when we start going crazy trying to find ways to use all these gems we’ve been wishing for. If the first frosts start creeping around and you still have green tomatoes left on the vine, pick them all and make a green tomato salsa or slice and batterfry them.

Watch the farmers market for heirloom tomatoes. These are the most special of all tomatoes—heirloom literally meaning passed down for generations—with the best flavor, coming in wacky shapes and in all colors of the rainbow.

Nutrition: Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and are said to have cancer-fighting properties. Some people may be sensitive to tomatoes due to their high acid content. They contain very good amounts of vitamin C, plus vitamin A, iron and folic acid in smaller quantities.