7 Unique Heirloom Seeds to Grow in 2021
Every year, we pick some new (to us!), unique heirloom seeds to grow in our garden. As seed savers, we have a growing seed collection of our favorite vegetable varieties, from rare heirlooms to brand new open pollinated cultivars. These are 7 of our favorite unique heirloom seeds we grew this past year!
7 Unique Heirloom Seeds to Grow in 2021
You can find our top 7 unique heirloom varieties from last year here! Last year’s picks included Black Nebula Carrot, Costoluto Genovese Tomato, Carouby De Maussane Snow Pea, Hulless Pumpkin, Forellenschauss Lettuce, Mangel Beet and Costata Romanesco Zucchini.
#1 Jarrahdale Pumpkin
Jarrahdale was so much fun to grow, and even better to eat! This blue-grey winter squash averages 8lbs or so. The rich dark orange meat is delicious in pies and pumpkin soup!
But Jarrahdale probably shines the most in its storage qualities. Properly cured, this unique heirloom can last over 1 year in storage!
You can find seeds for Jarrahdale here at Baker Creek.
#2 Purple Podded Snow Pea
Purple, aka Blue Podded Snow Pea is tender and sweet when eaten small as a snow pea. Allowed to fill out, the peas are also great for shelling!
I have to admit, this is the first year my kids have willingly eaten peas. In fact, I had a hard time getting a picture before they ate them all!
Many heirloom seed companies are now offering purple or blue peas. The variety I have came from MIGardener.
#3 Patisson Strie Melanage Summer Squash
Patisson is a beautiful mix of French scallops. The young fruit are blue-green and shaped just like a patty pan squash. In fact, mine were hardly distinguishable from Bennings Green Tint, either in looks or in taste.
Left to mature on the plant, the older fruits develop warty skin and fun stripes. Some have streaks of orange and yellow. At this stage, they make fun fall decor, or can be used as livestock feed.
For me, this variety served three purposes. First we enjoyed the young summer squash, then we used some of the older fruits as a table centerpiece. Finally, they were cooked and served to the chickens.
I’m looking forward to having Patisson in my garden from now on!
#4 Violet Jasper Tomato
If you read my recent article on vegetable varieties for cold climates, you might recognize these little striped beauties!
Violet Jasper is a red and green striped salad tomato. This early producer produces boatloads of 2oz fruits. They are great for salads or fresh eating. I throw any extras into my tomato sauce.
I’ve been growing Violet Jasper since a gardening friend gave me seeds several years ago. They are consistently one of my happiest and most productive varieties, no matter how short the growing season. And it’s hard to compain about their unique and beautiful color!
You can buy seeds at Baker Creek (here)
#5 Mini Bell Pepper Mix
Another Baker Creek variety, this heirloom mini bell pepper mix was so much easier to grow than a full-sized bell. It originated in Ohio.
Regular bell peppers are a real challenge in my garden, with cold nights and a super short growing season.
This mini bell pepper mix has red, yellow, and brown (not shown) baby bell peppers, ranging from 1-2” across. The small plants are great for containers. In fact, this year mine were still going at the end of the season, so I potted them up and brought them inside for fresh peppers all fall!
You can find the seeds here.
#6 Golden King of Siberia Tomato
This unique Russian heirloom is bright yellow and shaped like an upside down pear, or a right side up heart, depending on how you look at it. It’s a full sized slicer. The plants looked scrawny in my garden, but still produced well.
The best part about Golden King is it’s delightful flavor. The opposite of bland, this beautiful heirloom combines earthy old-fashioned flavor with a nice tang. It was one of the best tomatoes I have ever tasted and will be a regular in my gardens!
You can find seeds at Baker Creek.
#7 Black Beauty Tomato
Yet another tomato made my list this year! Black Beauty rivals Black Brandywine for rich, old fashioned low-acid flavor. It is one of, if not THE darkest tomato in existance. Its dark color is not only unique, but gives Black Beauty a high level of antioxidants.
Black Beauty’s color is unique in that, unlike most “black” tomatoes that start green, this variety starts out black. When ripe, it softens and develops a hint of red. Some gardeners have reported that their tomatoes turned very red when ripe, which appears to be from sun exposure. For the darkest tomatoes, limit or omit pruning of this variety, and keep them on the less sunny side of your tomato patch.
While technically not an heirloom yet , this fairly new open pollinated release from Wild Boar Farms is sure to become one!
You can get seeds straight from Wild Boar Farms, or here at Baker Creek.
Growing Heirloom Seeds
I love all the unique colors, shapes and flavors found in heirloom vegetables! Their rich histories are fascinating to me!
My favorite part about seed saving is that I get to be part of preserving these rare varieties!
If you would like to learn more about heirloom seeds, I would highly recommend the book, Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener’s Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History.
What is your favorite heirloom seed variety? Let me know in the comments!
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