Heritage tomatoes are old-time varieties that, until recently, were not found in supermarkets. Now they can found regularly at farm stands and farmers’ markets, and even occasionally in supermarkets. The reasons for heritage tomatoes being out of fashion includes their inability to withstand industrial processing and shipping. What they have going for them is flavor.

The colors make heritage tomatoes interesting. They do come in red, but also pink, yellow, brown, and streaked with multiple colors. The shapes vary as well. Lemon Boys are the shape and color of large lemons. Others look like dark persimmons.

They all taste like tomatoes. This is quite remarkable, in that most of us are used to supermarket tomatoes that while colorful and nutritious, only provide a suggestion of full-blown tomato essence. Aficionados will distinguish the refinement among varieties, some sharper and some sweeter, some with more fragrance than others. This requires the evocative prose used by wine reviewers, so I’ll pass on the details and say they are really good.

A few things about tomatoes. Never refrigerate them. That kills the fragrance and makes them taste more acid. Salsa is loaded with vinegar, so increasing the acid in that case does no harm, but unadorned fresh tomatoes should be kept out of the fridge. I encountered a farm stand that refridgerated their tomatoes overnight. I would have reported them to the Tomato Police if I’d had the phone number.

Heritage tomatoes often seem soft, especially compared to the supermarket varieties that have been cross-bred with billiard balls to withstand shipping. Don’t let the softness deter you from buying them so long as they are free of obvious bad spots.

I like them sliced with nothing other than a little sea salt. I won’t buy the $4 a pound supermarket tomatoes, but heritage tomatoes at that price are a deal. Here is the State Fair variety sliced up and ready. It tastes like a very good red tomato.