Heirloom Tomato Festival

Heirloom tomatoes have grown increasingly popular over the past few years as farmer's markets have flourished. If you've never tasted one, you may wonder what all the hullabaloo is about--especially because the one easy-to-spot difference between heirloom and supermarket tomatoes is that the former lack the beautiful red perfection we've come to expect from the store-bought variety.

This perfection, however, comes at a price. Genetic researchers at U.C. Davis have discovered that the very gene that makes commercial tomatoes so beautiful also prevents the full development of sugars in the fruit, thus making them often bland and nearly tasteless.

Heirloom tomatoes on the other hand, which have not been selectively bred for beauty, offer a taste experience unlike any you'll get from a conventional tomato. But due to their short growing season, there's only a small window of time each year to experience the difference. Visit us at Morgan's now through Monday to see for yourself what the fuss is about.