An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom
Cultivar of tomato. They are classified as family heirlooms, commercial heirlooms, mystery heirlooms, or created heirlooms. They usually have a shorter shelf life and are less disease resistant than a
Hybrid Fruit. They are grown for various reasons: for food, historical interest, access to wider varieties, to save seeds from year to year, as well as for their taste. Many heirloom tomatoes are sweeter and lack a genetic mutation that gives tomatoes a uniform red colour at the cost of the fruit's taste.