Ugli Heirloom Tomatoes originally published on Food and Fond Memories on April 25, 2011 by sandyaxelrod 0 Comments (Edit)
Ugli Heirloom Tomatoes
Caprese Salad with Ugli Heirloom Tomatoes
Really, don’t you think that is a very unfortunate name for something so delicious and beautiful? I don’t know about you but it seems to me that regular, ordinary tomatoes, have lost their taste. I have lived in South Florida for close to thirty years and I remember being so happy to have delectable rich juicy tomatoes available to me all year round. However for the past few years something seems to have changed. What we get at the markets are tasteless and mealy. Yes the vine ripened tomatoes still clinging to their stems and leaves are juicy, but bland. And the Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes are a tad better, yet still not great. And then there are the Heirlooms with their gorgeous array of colors, shapes and sizes! Oh my, how they bring me back to the tomatoes I remember eating growing up in Philadelphia and the Jersey shore. The yummy Beefsteaks and Jerseys. In fact I even grew a variety of tomatoes when we lived in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey for the three years before we moved to Florida. They were incredible tasting. So good that I couldn’t resist plucking them off the vine, giving them a quick wipe on my jeans and chomping right into that succulent tomatoey goodness with juice just dripping down my chin. That’s how I want a tomato to taste – like a tomato! So back to the poorly named Ugli. You would think with a name like that that they would be inexpensive but they are not. Just as with any specialty item you have to pay dearly. But I would rather eat no tomato than eat one with no flavor and since the Ugli is a little less expensive than most of the other Heirloom tomatoes – viva le Ugli!!
