Top 16 'Taste-of-the-Past' Heirloom Vegetables to start for a Story-Rich Harvest in 2025 - Goh Ling Yong
Step into your garden. Feel the soil between your fingers. What if this year, the plants you grow could tell you a story? A story of resilience, of flavor celebrated by generations past, and of a time when food was as unique as the people who grew it. This is the world of heirloom vegetables, a vibrant alternative to the uniform, mass-market produce we see in stores today.
Heirlooms are living history. These are open-pollinated varieties, preserved and passed down through families and communities, some for over a century. Unlike modern hybrids bred for shelf stability and uniform shipping, heirlooms were selected for one thing above all else: incredible flavor. They represent a treasure trove of genetic diversity, offering a dazzling array of colors, shapes, and tastes that connect us directly to our gardening ancestors.
As we look ahead to the 2025 gardening season, I want to invite you to cultivate more than just a harvest; let's grow a story-rich garden. A garden that becomes a conversation starter, a history lesson, and a culinary adventure. Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe every seed has a past and a purpose. This list of 16 'taste-of-the-past' heirlooms is your perfect starting point for an unforgettable year of growth.
1. Brandywine Tomato
The Brandywine isn't just a tomato; it's a legend. Widely considered the gold standard for heirloom tomato flavor, this variety dates back to the 1880s. Its origins are a bit mysterious, but its reputation is crystal clear. Growing a Brandywine is a rite of passage for any serious gardener seeking the ultimate tomato experience.
The fruit is large, often weighing over a pound, with a deep pinkish-red hue and a complex, rich, and slightly spicy flavor that is simply divine. The flesh is meaty and succulent with very few seeds. This is the tomato you slice thick, sprinkle with a little salt, and eat standing right there in the garden. Its potato-leaf foliage is also a distinguishing characteristic, setting it apart from other tomato plants.
- Pro Tip: Brandywine tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning they grow and produce fruit all season long. They require very sturdy staking or caging to support the heavy vines and massive fruit. Give them plenty of space and consistent watering to prevent cracking.
2. Cherokee Purple Tomato
If the Brandywine is the king, the Cherokee Purple is the wise and soulful elder. This stunning tomato has a story as rich as its flavor, said to have been passed down from the Cherokee people of Tennessee. Its appearance is unforgettable: a dusty, dusky rose-purple color with deep red flesh and green-tinged shoulders.
The flavor is consistently ranked among the best in the world—a perfect balance of sweet, rich, and smoky. It has a depth that modern tomatoes simply can't replicate. Sliced, it makes a dramatic statement in salads and sandwiches, but it truly shines in a simple Caprese salad where its complex taste can be the star.
- Pro Tip: Like most large heirlooms, Cherokee Purple can be prone to cracking if watering is inconsistent. Use a thick layer of mulch to help retain soil moisture and water deeply at the base of the plant.
3. Mortgage Lifter Tomato
Who wouldn't want to grow a tomato with a story this good? The Mortgage Lifter was developed in the 1930s by a radiator repairman named M.C. Byles. By cross-breeding his favorite tomato varieties, he created a massive, delicious tomato and sold the seedlings for $1 apiece, eventually paying off his $6,000 mortgage. It's the ultimate tale of garden-to-riches!
These plants produce huge, pinkish-red beefsteak tomatoes that can easily reach two pounds or more. Despite their size, they are incredibly flavorful—sweet, meaty, and low in acid. One slice is often enough to cover an entire piece of bread for a sandwich, making it a practical and delicious choice.
- Pro Tip: Due to the sheer weight of the fruit, you'll need the strongest tomato cage you can find. It’s also wise to provide extra support for the fruit-laden branches to prevent them from snapping.
4. Dragon's Tongue Bean
Prepare to be enchanted by this visually stunning Dutch heirloom. The Dragon's Tongue Bean features flat, stringless pods that are a beautiful creamy yellow, artistically splashed and streaked with vibrant purple. They make harvesting feel like a treasure hunt and are almost too pretty to eat.
They have a wonderfully crisp texture and a rich, nutty flavor that makes them fantastic for eating raw, adding to salads, or steaming lightly. Here's the magic trick: when you cook them, the purple streaks completely vanish, leaving a perfectly uniform, buttery-yellow bean. It’s a fun surprise for anyone new to this delightful variety.
- Pro Tip: Dragon's Tongue is a bush bean, so it doesn't require trellising. For the best flavor and a continuous harvest, pick the beans when they are about 6-8 inches long, before the seeds inside begin to swell.
5. Moon and Stars Watermelon
This isn't your average picnic watermelon; it's a work of art with a heartwarming story of rediscovery. The Moon and Stars variety was thought to be extinct for decades until it was found growing on a farm in Missouri in the 1980s. Its rind is a deep, dark green, speckled with tiny yellow "stars" and usually one large yellow "moon." Even the leaves of the plant are speckled!
The flesh can be red or yellow, and it's exceptionally sweet and juicy, with a classic, old-fashioned watermelon flavor that will transport you back to childhood summers. Growing this melon is a surefire way to delight kids and adults alike. It's a true showstopper at any summer gathering.
- Pro Tip: Watermelons are heavy feeders and need lots of space to vine. Amend your soil with plenty of rich compost and give each plant at least 8-10 feet of room to sprawl. Place a board or a bed of straw under the developing fruit to keep it off the damp soil.
6. Glass Gem Corn
Perhaps the most beautiful corn in the world, Glass Gem looks exactly like its name suggests. Each kernel on the cob shines with a different translucent, jewel-toned color—from ruby red and sapphire blue to emerald green and amethyst purple. The story goes that it was developed by Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer in Oklahoma, who dedicated his life to rediscovering and preserving traditional Native American corn varieties.
While not a sweet corn for eating off the cob, Glass Gem is a fantastic popping corn, or it can be ground into a colorful cornmeal for polenta or tortillas. Mostly, though, it's grown for its breathtaking beauty. The dried cobs make for stunning autumn decorations that will have everyone asking, "Is that real?"
- Pro Tip: To get the most vibrant and varied colors, plant Glass Gem in a block of at least four rows rather than a single long row. Corn is wind-pollinated, and this formation ensures good pollination and fully developed ears.
7. Jimmy Nardello's Sweet Italian Pepper
This is the heirloom pepper for people who think they can't grow peppers. It's incredibly prolific, surprisingly hardy, and ridiculously delicious. This variety was brought to Connecticut in 1887 by Giuseppe and Angella Nardiello from their home in Southern Italy. They named it after their fourth son, Jimmy, who continued to cultivate it his entire life.
The peppers are long, thin, and twisted, ripening to a glossy, fire-engine red. Their flavor is where they truly excel: exceptionally sweet, rich, and fruity with almost no heat. They are a frying pepper extraordinaire, becoming creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious when sautéed in a little olive oil.
- Pro Tip: These plants are so productive that the branches can get weighed down with fruit. Provide a small stake or cage for support. They are also excellent for drying to make a sweet, flavorful paprika.
8. Paris Market Carrot
Charming, delightful, and perfectly round, the Paris Market Carrot is a 19th-century French heirloom that proves good things come in small packages. These tiny, globe-shaped carrots were traditionally grown in the shallow, heavy soils around Paris where longer carrots struggled.
They are perfect for gardeners battling with clay or rocky soil, and their small size makes them an ideal choice for container gardening. They have a tender texture and a sweet, classic carrot flavor. Roasting them whole brings out their sweetness, and their bite-sized shape makes them a hit with kids.
- Pro Tip: For the roundest shape, keep the soil loose and free of rocks. Sow seeds successionally every few weeks for a continuous harvest of these tiny treats throughout the season.
9. Lemon Cucumber
Surprise your garden visitors with this whimsical and productive heirloom from the late 1800s. The Lemon Cucumber grows into a fruit that is the exact size, shape, and color of a lemon. People will do a double-take when they see lemons growing on a cucumber vine!
Despite its appearance, the flavor is all cucumber—mild, sweet, and crisp, with no bitterness and a very thin skin that doesn't require peeling. The round shape makes them fun for salads, and they are perfect for making single-serving pickles. They are also more digestible for some people than standard cucumbers.
- Pro Tip: Lemon cucumbers are climbers. Give them a trellis to scramble up. This keeps the fruit off the ground, improves air circulation (preventing disease), and makes them much easier to find and harvest.
10. Boston Marrow Squash
Take a bite of American history with the Boston Marrow Squash. This is one of the oldest squash varieties still in cultivation, originating with Native American tribes in the Northeast and introduced commercially in the 1830s. Its tear-drop shape and brilliant orange-red skin make it a beautiful autumn decoration.
But its real value is in the kitchen. The flesh is a deep yellow-orange, stringless, and exceptionally smooth. It has a dry, sweet flavor that is absolutely perfect for pies, custards, and soups. Many bakers swear it makes a superior pumpkin pie to any actual pumpkin.
- Pro Tip: This is a sprawling winter squash that needs a lot of room. The vines can easily run 10-15 feet. To save space, you can train them up a very sturdy A-frame trellis.
11. Fish Pepper
The Fish Pepper is an incredible plant with a powerful story. This African-American heirloom was popular in the Baltimore and Philadelphia areas in the 19th century, particularly in oyster and crab houses. It was used to make a white paprika that could season seafood dishes without discoloring the creamy sauces. The plant itself is stunningly beautiful, with green and white variegated leaves and peppers that ripen from cream to orange to red.
The peppers pack a decent punch, similar to a serrano or a mild cayenne. The flavor is sharp and clean, making it a versatile hot pepper for sauces, salsas, and, of course, seafood. It's a piece of culinary history that was nearly lost but is now being celebrated by gardeners and chefs.
- Pro Tip: The variegation is most pronounced in full sun. This plant is as beautiful as it is useful, making it a perfect candidate for "edible landscaping." Plant it in a prominent pot on your patio or right in your flower border.
12. Purple of Sicily Cauliflower
Add a splash of royal color to your garden with this gorgeous Italian heirloom. The Purple of Sicily Cauliflower produces brilliant, deep purple heads that are a feast for the eyes. Unlike some colorful vegetables that are just novelties, this one boasts a superior flavor and texture compared to its white cousins.
It has a milder, sweeter taste and contains anthocyanin, the same healthy antioxidant found in blueberries and red wine. The purple color will fade to a pale lavender-green when cooked, but if you add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to the water, it will help preserve the vibrant hue.
- Pro Tip: Cauliflower is a cool-weather crop. Plant it in early spring for a summer harvest or in mid-summer for a fall harvest. Consistent moisture and rich soil are key to forming large, tight heads.
13. Chioggia Beet
Slice into a Chioggia beet, and you'll find a delightful surprise. Also known as the Candy Cane or Bull's Eye Beet, this Italian heirloom from the town of Chioggia reveals stunning concentric rings of bright pink and white on the inside. It's a showstopper that turns a simple salad into a work of art.
Beyond its looks, the Chioggia has a wonderfully mild and sweet flavor, lacking the strong earthy taste that turns some people off of regular beets. This makes it perfect for eating raw, shaved thinly over salads. When cooked, the rings tend to fade into a uniform pale pink, so enjoy its beauty fresh!
- Pro Tip: Don't throw away the tops! Beet greens are delicious and nutritious, similar to Swiss chard. Sauté them with a little garlic and olive oil for a fantastic side dish.
14. Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry
If you've never tried a ground cherry, you are in for a treat. Aunt Molly's is a Polish heirloom that produces small, golden-orange fruits encased in a papery husk, like a tiny tomatillo. The plants are sprawling and incredibly productive, yielding hundreds of fruits per plant.
The flavor is a unique and delightful mix of sweet and tart, often described as a cross between a pineapple, a tomato, and a strawberry. They are fantastic eaten fresh, made into pies and preserves, or dropped into cocktails. Harvesting is a fun treasure hunt—you just gather the little paper lanterns that have fallen to the ground.
- Pro Tip: Start seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before your last frost, just as you would with tomatoes. The plants can get quite bushy, so give them about two feet of space in each direction.
15. Grand Rapids Lettuce
In a world of fancy salad mixes, sometimes you just need a reliable, crisp, and delicious lettuce. The Grand Rapids Lettuce, developed in Michigan in the late 1800s, is a testament to heirloom dependability. This loose-leaf variety forms large, open heads of bright green, frilly, and tender leaves.
It's known for being fast-growing and slow to bolt (go to seed) in the heat, making it an excellent choice for a long harvest season. The flavor is mild and sweet without a hint of bitterness. It's the perfect foundation for any salad and a must-have for any home gardener who wants a steady supply of fresh greens. My personal experience, shared by Goh Ling Yong, is that this lettuce is one of the most rewarding and easy-to-grow greens for beginners.
- Pro Tip: For a continuous supply, practice succession planting. Sow a short row of seeds every two weeks from early spring through early summer, and again in the late summer for a fall crop.
16. Tromboncino Squash
Fight back against the dreaded squash vine borer with this amazing Italian heirloom! Tromboncino is technically a vining winter squash (C. moschata), but it's most often eaten as a summer squash. Its long, curving, trombone-like shape is a conversation starter in itself.
Because it has solid stems, the vine borer—a pest that devastates most zucchini plants—can't tunnel into it. The flavor is fantastic, firmer and less watery than zucchini with a nutty, artichoke-like taste. You can harvest it young and green for use as a summer squash or let it mature on the vine, where it will turn a tan color and can be stored and used like butternut squash.
- Pro Tio: This is an aggressive climber. Give it a very strong trellis, arbor, or fence to climb. Growing it vertically not only saves a huge amount of garden space but also encourages the fruits to grow long and straight.
Your Garden, Your Story
Choosing to plant heirloom vegetables is an act of preservation. It’s a way to participate in a story that is hundreds of years old, ensuring these unique flavors and histories are not forgotten. As you plan your 2025 garden, I challenge you to set aside a little space for something with a past. You won’t just be growing food; you’ll be cultivating connection, biodiversity, and a harvest that truly tells a story.
Start with one or two from this list that capture your imagination. The 'Mortgage Lifter' for its inspiring tale, the 'Glass Gem' corn for its sheer beauty, or the 'Jimmy Nardello' for its unbeatable flavor. Whichever you choose, you're in for an unforgettable gardening adventure.
What heirloom vegetables are you most excited to grow in 2025? Do you have a favorite variety with a family story attached? Share your plans and stories in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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