Biodiversity
An introduction to biodiversity.
A simple explanation of what biodiversity is, how we make sense of it and its importance to us. Plus an introduction to the biodiversity of potatoes and tomatoes.
Brandywine
Photographer: Your neighborhood librarian. Copyright: CC
Cultivar: Brandywine
Species: Solanum esculentum
Quick description
A heirloom beefsteak variety. Though rarely grown by big producers due to growing flaws and lack of suitability to mechanisation, it is still popular with home growers for its often excellent flavour.
Appearance
The fruit is large, up to 0.5kg in weight. In shape it is a flattened globe and often has ribbed sides. It is commonly a pinkish colour. Internally it has an extensive structure of pericarp, enclosing numerous small seed pockets (ovaries). The plant itself is indeterminate and rangy with potato plant like leaves.
Eating / cooking
Deep meaty and complex tomato flavours. The texture is dense and fleshy due to the large amount of pericarp (the fleshy part of the tomato) inside. It has also been described as having a smooth or creamy texture and juicy flesh. It is often used for tomato salads or sandwich making as the structure of these tomatoes means they hold together well. See our tomato and mozzarella salad.
Nutritional details
Like all tomatoes the Brandywine cultivar is high in fibre, contains vitamins A, C, E, K and B6, a variety of minerals such as potassium, magnesium and copper, and folic acid. It also contains high levels of lycopene, an antioxidant linked to the prevention of cancer.
Habitat / growing
Originally developed in the States it is now popular among gardeners internationally. In spite of this popularity Brandywine has a number of growing flaws: it takes a long time to grow and ripen, doesn’t always produce very good yields, is prone to cracking, especially if the ripening fruit is rained on at the wrong at time, and often has green (un-ripened) shoulders. It is rarely grown by commercial companies (apart from those specialising in heritage tomatoes) due to the flaws above and its unsuitability for mechanical picking or transportation.
Disease / pest resistance
Like many heirloom or heritage tomatoes Brandywine does not have the disease resistance of many modern cultivars.
Stress tolerance
Brandwine tomatoes do not have a high level of stress tolerance.
