Out of sight from hotel guests and visitors, the working side of Babylonstoren is home to 48 tunnels where a variety of heirloom crops are grown. Six of these are dedicated to our tomato obsession, with vines trailing all the way up to the roof. 

Thanks to these climate-controlled tunnels and our specialist grower Elzé Bresler and her team, our tomatoes can be enjoyed throughout the year. Elzé is in her fourth tomato-growing season and has trialled and evaluated more than 150 heirloom cultivars.  

Heirloom tomatoes are not genetically engineered. Their traits in terms of flavour, pest resistance and climate tolerance are passed down from generation to generation. Good growers save seed from the strongest, healthiest plants with the tastiest fruits, so that the next year’s crop carries more of these prized qualities. Elzé has whittled her selection down to 30 heirloom cultivars that have proven their worth. 

The names hint at their diversity – Blue Beauty, Copper River, Orange Flute, Berkeley Pink Tie Dye and Green Moldovan. Rotund and red, compact and green, sweet and yellow, along with black, green and red-cheeked fruits in marbled combinations. Each has its own characteristics, preferred growing conditions and best uses in the kitchen. “Their flowers are wonderfully complex. I’ve found that the more intricate the bloom, the more curious the base of the fruit. Some people find the odd shapes a bit much,” she concludes.  

Unlike their commercial cousins, heirlooms are not bred for shelf life. They are best enjoyed fresh, soon after picking. Once they start to soften, they can be roasted and blitzed into a rich, umami-infused sauce. Now and then, a select few fortunate souls on the farm are invited to a tomato tasting, where ripe varieties are assessed for appearance, texture, growability, aroma and flavour. Some are fleshy and dense – delicious in salads. Others have a higher water content, which makes them perfect for pasta sauce. Drier types are ideal for sun-drying, and nearly all are exceptional eaten simply with a sprinkle of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, water buffalo mozzarella and basil. 

Of the 30 cultivars growing now, it’s impossible for Elzé to choose a favourite, so don’t even ask. One thing is certain – she will never ever go back to standard commercial tomatoes. Heirloom today, heirloom for all the tomorrows. 

Shop Babylonstoren heirlooms online or at our Farm Shop.