Heirloom tomatoes are easy to grow and are harvested in the late summer. They are a variety of tomato that you can put in your garden and can be used for a variety of purposes. Although treated like a vegetable, a tomato as we know it, is really a fruit. And because it is a fruit, you can do a lot more to preserve them so that you can have the taste of your garden all year long.

Once you have planted the heirloom tomatoes, in June, you can then look after them and water them as they continue to grow. They will blossom first and the blossom will soon turn into the fruit. You should use tomato cages in your garden to keep the heirloom tomatoes off of the ground. You will have to adjust them and may even use twist ties to keep them from falling on the ground.

When it comes to tomato worms, you should use an organic product as a pesticide. There are plenty of organic products on the market that can be used to stave off bugs and are safer than ordinary pesticides.

After the tomatoes have ripened, you can then harvest them. Green tomatoes are often picked for breading and frying as they can be very firm. When frying green heirloom tomatoes slice them thickly, dip them in whipped egg and then in a mixture of grated parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs before frying them in olive oil.

If you choose to can tomatoes for future use, you can do so with a hot water bath. This entails using sterile containers and putting the semi cooked and fully peeled tomatoes inside. You then shut the jars tightly and submerge them into water, bringing it to a boil for about 20 minutes until the rubber on the tops of the jars have time to seal. You can also add herbs to the mixture as well such as bay leaves, basil and oregano.

Another way that you can use heirloom tomatoes is to cut them in slices along with red onions and dress them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A little salt, pepper and oregano and you have a nice summer salad.

Heirloom tomatoes, just like other tomatoes, can be dried. You can slice them, salt them and cover them. They can then be set in the sun and watched on a daily basis, turning them daily. They have to be taken in at night and then set in the sun again. This process can take up to two weeks. Once they are dried, they are delicious in salads and pasta.

You can also use tomatoes to make your own tomato sauce that can also be canned with a hot water bath. You can add tomato paste as well as seasonings to your home made tomato sauce.

If you are looking for the perfect tomato to grow in your garden, choose heirloom tomatoes. This later-summer tomato is easy to grow and can be used in a variety of different ways as well as preserved so that you can essentially enjoy your garden all year long