Download Heirloom Vegetables and Herbs - Texas

Heirloom
Vegetables
&
Herbs
Selecting Heirlooms Plants
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Open-Pollinated Vegetables and Herbs
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Plants are left to become pollinated on their own
Are often older or heirloom cultivars
It is important that the cultivar “breed true” – that is
offspring resemble their parents
The breeding system will determine if an openpollinated vegetable “breeds true”
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Self-pollinated plants will produce 90% or more
offspring that is true-to-type.
Parents of cross-pollinated plants must be controlled.
Kentucky Wonder Green bean
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Introduced by 1864,
originally known by the name 'Old
Homestead'
In 1877, seedsman James J. H. Gregory &
Son renamed this bean, 'Kentucky
Wonder.'
By 1907, the USDA described it as the
best known and most widely grown pole
bean in America.
Two years later, seedsman H. W. Buckbee
said that it "Has no equal“
The Most Popular Beans!
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First described in 1750
Beautiful large bean
Purple with mottled black
Named after its flower
Long history in Great
Britain
When picked young, both
pod and beans can be
eaten.
Scarlet Runner
More Beans!
Tiger Eye
Painted Pony
White Aztec Beans
Early Jersey Wakefield
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Developed from an old variety called the 'Early Wakefield'
First introduced from England to Jersey City in 1840
Has appeared in American seed catalogs since 1872
In 1888, Burpee reported that it was more common than any
other early cabbage.
In 1895, competitor Peter Henderson called it the "best early
cabbage in cultivation".
In 1901, more seed companies (166) carried this variety than
any other
1951, it was so popular that the USDA listed it among the
principal varieties of American cabbage.
And it still is!
Paris White Cos
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Mentioned by garden writers as early as 1834
In 1864, American Seedsmen listed 'PWC‘
In 1889, the Parker & Wood catalog called it
“one of the finest for summer use”
In 1901, the E. J. Bowen Seed Annual reported that it was
“generally considered the best” of the romaines
'PWC' grows into a large to very large upright cylinder of
thick, crisp leaves with tender stalky midribs.
Self -blanching heart
It is a late-season variety, known for its excellent quality
In 1904 the USDA called it the best romaine for either home
or market use and praised its crisp, sweet leaves.
More Greens
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90 days
Plant produces good yields
of dark green curly leaves
Large tender crisp ribs
Excellent greens for salads
Also boiled or steamed
A pre 1865 heirloom
variety
Green Curled
Ruffec Endive
More Greens
Red Russian Kale
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50 days.
Early variety
Produces flavorful red and
blue-green leaves
An heirloom, brought to
America by a Russian
trader in 1860
Very winter hardy
More Greens
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Rouge D’Hiver Lettuce
70 days
Plant produces
flavorful 12" heads of
lettuce
Excellent for salads
and garnishes
A French heirloom
variety
Broccoli
‘Zamboni Broccoli’
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45 days
Plant produces good yields
of broccoli raab
This variety has delicate
tender buds with excellent
side shoots
Excellent for stir fry and
salads
Plant from early spring to
late summer
A heirloom variety from
Italy
Kohlrabi
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‘Gigante Kohlrabi’
130 days
Produces huge kohlrabi
bulbs
World Record - weighed
43.7 lb
Very tender and flavorful
with a mild taste
Can be eaten raw or cooked
Excellent in soups and other
dishes
A Czechoslovakian
heirloom.
Scarlet Horn
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Developed by Dutch plantsmen in 1620
One of the oldest vegetable varieties still in
cultivation
One of the first two carrots grown in the U.S.
The name actually comes from ‘Hoorn,’ a town in
Holland
In 1889, Philadelphia seedsman I. V. Faust
described the 'Early Scarlet Horn' carrot as "One
of the best for table use and one of the most
popular varieties grown for an early crop"
In 1894, J. A. Everitt's catalog called it the "best
for planting out of doors."
Seedsman Wm. Henry Maule praised these
carrots. In 1899, he named it "the best early table
variety."
French Breakfast
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Introduced before 1885
a favorite among French market gardeners
Attractive and tasty.
American seed catalogs offered it in the late 1800s
Red color, tipped with white and olive shape
Crisp and tender with delicate flavor
Today, the 'French Breakfast' is still considered a
first-rate radish.
Oblong and about two inches long
Beets
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60 days
Plant produces good yields of
very sweet pink skinned beet
Beets have red and white circular
rings in interior
Ideal for boiling, pickling,
baking, and freezing
Leaves can be used as greens
A heirloom variety introduced to
the United States in 1840's from
Italy
Chioggia Beet
Golden Bantam
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“The most flavorful corn ever grown”
The first true fresh-eating corn
'Golden Bantam‘ introduced by W. Atlee
Burpee in 1902
First known as “Choice Early Corn"
Recognized by E. L. Coy, a seedsman who was
visiting from Washington County, New York
who immediately recognized just how good this
new corn was
He sent some seed to Burpee, who grew it in
trials.
And, the rest is history.
Strawberry Corn
Hopi’s Blue Corn
Bloody Butcher
Hooker’s
Sweet
Improved Long Green
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The 'Improved Long Green' Cucumber has been
known for more than 125 years
Introduced by the D. M. Ferry & Co. seed
company in 1872
First known as 'Ferry's Improved Long Green'
the simply 'Improved Long Green.'
Wm. Henry Maule's 1890 catalog said, "…no
words of praise can be too strong for its merits,
They are always of superior quality, firm and
crisp, growing 12 to 20 inches long…”
From 12 to 20 inches long!
65 days.
Plant produces good
yields of small
lemon color and
lemon shaped
cucumbers.
Lemon Cucumber
An excellent
heirloom cucumber
for salads and
pickling
Jenny Lind Melon
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Known before 1840
A musk melon
Named for the Swedish opera singer
This melon was once one of the leading early greenfleshed varieties for home and market
While too delicate to ship, the 'Jenny Lind' served
another important role, serving as the parent of a
number of other popular varieties.
The 'Jenny Lind' is a smallish melon that averaged
about a pound and a half
Hubbard, Blue Hubbard
& Warted Hubbard
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A standard against which all other hard-shelled
squash are judged
The ‘unknown’ was carried to New England in
1798 from the West Indies or South America
One or two gardeners at Marblehead, Massachusetts grew it,
saving the seeds from year to year.
Sometime around 1842, Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard noticed just
how good this squash was
She introduced it to a seedsman, James J. H. Gregory
He recognized that this squash had remarkable properties. He
named it after Mrs. Hubbard
Bakes as good as sweet potato and makes a great “apple” pie
Long Island Cheese Squash
Rouge Vif d’Etampes Pumpkin
Conn. Field
Melons
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90 days
Plant produces heavy
yields of 1 lb melons
Yellow with brilliant firered, zigzag stripes
Golden color flesh melons
Very fragrant
The flesh is white and is
very sweet and tastes like a
cantaloupe
This heirloom variety does
well in dry conditions
Tiger Melon
Melons
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105 days
Plant produces good yields
of deep green watermelon
with yellow dots
Some dots are large, looks
like moons, and some dots
are small, which looks like
stars
It is very sweet and flavorful
This is an Amish heirloom
variety
Moons and Stars
Tomato
‘B r a n d y w i n e’
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Origin – unknown!
The 'Brandywine' Tomato has been around for
more than 100 years
'Brandywine' may be an old Amish introduction
May have been introduced in 1889 by Johnson & Stokes, a
Philadelphia seed company
Or, from Burpee’s in 1886.
First known as 'Turner's Hybrid'
The 'Brandywine' plant is potato-leaved
Produces generous crops of big, two-fisted tomatoes with
memorable flavor
Described as as "deep brilliant red"
Box Car Willie
Beef Steak Tomato
Black Plum
Black Krim
Amish Paste Tomato
Big Rainbow
Aunt Ruby’s German Green
Arkansas Traveler
Andrew
Rahart
‘Cock’s Plume’
‘Red Cup’
Tomatillo
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70 days
Plant produces good yields
of small to medium size
tomatillos
This variety was grown
unattended in a corn fields
by a family in Mexico
It stores fresh for several
weeks
Excellent for making salsa
A heirloom variety from
Mexico
Eggplant
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‘Rosa Bianca’
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75 days
Plant produces good
yields of tasty tender rosy
lavender & cream
teardrop shaped eggplants
These eggplants are very
delicious, creamy, with
no bitter taste
Excellent for slicing,
stuffing, and baking
A heirloom from Italy
Peppers
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85 days
Plant produces good yields of
3" long hot peppers
Peppers are very hot and turn
from cream white with green
stripes, to orange with brown
stripes, then to red when mature
Plant has variegated leaves.
An African-American heirloom
from the Philadelphia, DC &
Baltimore found ~ in the 1800's
Famous seasoning used in Crab
Houses around the Chesapeake
Bay.
Fish Hot Peppers
‘Casados Native Hot Pepper’
‘Buist’s
Yellow
Cayenne’
‘Tennessee Teardrops’
Peppers
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75 days
Plant produces high
yields of huge 6" long
by 4 1/4 wide sweet
bell peppers
Peppers turn from
green to red when
mature
Excellent for stuffing,
salads, and cooking
A heirloom variety
from the USA - 1876
‘Chinese Giant Sweet’
Heirloom
Sweet
‘Corno di Toro’ S. Pepper
‘Marconi Sweet Pepper’
Herbs - Basil
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60 days.
Annual
Plant produces good
yields of lemon flavored
basil leaves - the most
lemony of all lemon basil
Plant has white flowers
and very bright green
leaves
A sixty year old heirloom
variety from New Mexico
Herbs - Garlic
Ancient !!
German Extra Hardy
Herb – Button Onions
Bartletta Baby Pearl Onions
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70-100 days
From England
For pickling, or for pearls
Fabulous in cream sauces,
cassoulets, soups or stews.
Barletta grows quickly to
its mature size of 1” in
diameter
Herbs – Button Onion
‘Cippolini’
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Little button shaped
onions
imported Italy in 1860
Fine fleshed heirlooms
A favorite for gourmet
gardeners for kebabs,
pickling or grilling
Questions?
Edited for use by:
Vincent Mannino,
County Extension Director – Fort Bend