Heirlooms

 
This image of gorgeous Glass Gem corn went viral on facebook recently.  The seeds were rediscovered in Oklahoma, on the farm of an elderly part-Cherokee farmer and have been saved by Seeds Trust, an heirloom seed company,   Once a photo was posted on the internet the response was so overwhelming that the Seeds Trust site crashed.  Not surprisingly, the limited number of seeds they had have since sold out.  

The story is making the rounds because of the mesmerizing beauty of these ears of corn, but the importance of saving old seed varieties goes much deeper than the aesthetics, taste, or even nutritional value of forgotten strains like this.  The story is complex, and you can read more about it in The Seed Conspiracy, an article written almost 20 years ago by Michael Pollan about the ways in which nature has been manipulated by the farming industry for profit, how the genetic diversity of the plant world has been compromised, species are going extinct, and the entire concept of open pollination is being threatened.

What exactly is an heirloom when it comes to seeds?  The general definition is that they are old, (pre 1950s is often used as a cut-off date) seeds that came about from open pollination, that is, they were pollinated by birds and bees, not plant breeders.  They've been saved and used for generations.  I've talked a lot on this blog about discovering unusual heirloom varieties of fruits, vegetables, and grains and finding ways to incorporate them into my cooking.  The unfamiliar colors and shapes are a lot of fun to play with.  Remember these Scarlet Turnips?

This Black Forbidden Rice?

The Romanesco and Watermelon Radishes?

And these Purple Potatoes?

The complex flavor of heirlooms give us a much needed alternative to the supermarket superstar varieties.  Honestly I get a little sick of the commercial tomatoes and corn that have been bred to be excessively sweet. And aside from color and flavor, we're being cheated out of so much potential nutrition by being limited to the varieties that do the best on long truck rides, respond well to fertilizer, or have the most bruise resistant skin or ideal shape.

Just think, someday in the near future we could be sitting around the picnic table with an ear of hot buttered Glass Gem corn in our hands, marveling at the wonders of nature.  The dreaded summer 'corn shucking' chore would become thrilling as each pull of the husk revealed a new mosaic of color.

photos of Glass Gem courtesy of Seeds Trust

Be sure to get out to your local farmer's market this weekend.  You won't find any Glass Gem corn, not just yet anyway, but you will find other gems, just keep an open mind.