20 Heirloom Vegetables

After my previous lists of fruits, I received numerous requests to compile a list of vegetables. As I delved into the research, I made a surprising discovery. In my quest to determine if tomatoes could be included, I learned that many of the foods I considered vegetables aren't actually vegetables at all, but rather fruits. According to botanical definitions, a fruit forms from the ovary of a flower and contains seeds. This means tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, peas, beans, zucchini, and peppers are all technically fruits, not vegetables. A vegetable, by contrast, refers to any edible part of a plant, such as stems, roots, leaves, and flowers, excluding the fruit. However, for the sake of this list, I will follow the more commonly accepted classification: If it’s something you generally cook, it’s a vegetable – tomatoes included.

Heirloom vegetables are those that are not grown for mass consumption or sold commercially. In some countries, such as the UK, laws restrict the sale of vegetables that are not on an approved national list. Instead, heirloom varieties are passed down through families and communities, as the name implies, with their species being preserved for hundreds or even thousands of years. This means there are countless varieties of vegetables that you may have never heard of. For example, did you know that the earliest records of carrots, dating back to before 900 AD, come from Afghanistan and weren’t orange? In fact, it’s believed that orange carrots were bred by the Dutch in the 1700s as a tribute to their royal family. In this list, we’ll explore some of these unique, forgotten vegetables, all of which can have their seeds purchased online. I haven’t arranged them in any particular order, as it’s hard to say which is better when it comes to such amazing vegetables.

20. Forbidden Rice

Other heirloom varieties include: Red quinoa and Madagascar pink rice.

This variety of rice, native to China, is one of several types of black rice. Upon cooking, it transforms into a deep purple hue and carries a nutty flavor, akin to brown rice. It is rich in anthocyanins (a potent antioxidant), vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. The name Forbidden rice is believed to have been given because it was once reserved exclusively for the royal family.

19. Magenta Sunset Chard

Other heirloom varieties include: Flamingo chard and Rainbow chard.

This is a stunning variety of chard, also referred to as spinach beet or leaf beet. It features dark green, nearly flat leaves and vibrant magenta stems. Known for its resilience, it can thrive in both high heat and light frost conditions. This versatile vegetable can be used in place of Pac choi or spinach in various dishes, adding a beautiful burst of color to your meals.

18. Dragon Tongue Bush Bean

Other heirloom varieties include: Golden wax bean and Royal burgundy beans.

This Dutch heirloom bean showcases striking purple stripes over a bright yellow base. It’s an incredibly adaptable variety, suitable for eating raw as a snap bean, cooking with its shells, or shelling it for soups and stews. Known for its unique, fresh, and lively flavor, it is a favorite among chefs and food enthusiasts alike.

17. Watermelon Radish

Other heirloom varieties include: Black Spanish radish and Brightest breakfast radish.

This is a large root vegetable, about the size of a baseball. Belonging to the horseradish family, it has a mild, peppery taste. True to its name, the watermelon radish resembles a miniature watermelon, with a pale green to white skin and a striking pink interior. Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium, and are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, and copper.

16. Weebee Little Pumpkins

Other heirloom varieties include: Amish pie pumpkins and Casper pumpkin.

These small pumpkins are an American heirloom variety (although the U.S. does not restrict heirloom sales like some other countries). They can easily fit into the palm of your hand, making them ideal for individual servings. With a deliciously sweet flavor, they are packed with calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and beta-carotene. They're also perfect for carving during Halloween and make great holders for tea light candles.

15. Sweet Chocolate Peppers

Other heirloom varieties include: Bullnose sweet peppers and Purple beauty pepper.

These sweet peppers are unique in that they change from green to a deep chocolate color as they mature. This distinctive color is thought to result from a blend of dark purple skin and brick-red flesh inside. These peppers are known for their high yield and incredibly sweet flavor, making them an excellent addition to salads. They are regarded as a gourmet variety in the U.S.

14. Precoce d’Argenteuil Asparagus

Other heirloom varieties include: Mary Washington asparagus.

This is an ancient French heirloom variety known for producing large, flavorful spears. The spears are tender and have a delightful taste. The plants are resilient, able to survive for many years, although they typically begin yielding substantial crops only in their second or third year. Their base color is green with purple scales, but they can also appear as fully purple.

13. Japanese White Egg Eggplant

Other heirloom varieties include: Rosa Bianca eggplant and Thai green eggplant.

This Japanese heirloom eggplant, or aubergine, is strikingly white and egg-shaped, perfectly fitting its name. It contrasts greatly with the larger, purple eggplants commonly seen. The plant is prolific, continuing to produce fruit as long as you keep harvesting. While some of the fruit may turn a bright yellow, those tend to be more bitter in taste.

12. Violetta Italia Cauliflower

Other heirloom varieties include: Romanesco cauliflower and Rosalind.

These plants produce large, vibrant purple cauliflowers that are a feast for the eyes. They are delicious both raw with a dip and cooked or steamed. Cauliflowers are rich in dietary fiber, folate, and vitamin C, and this purple variety is especially notable for its high anthocyanin content, which can help slow blood clotting and reduce the risk of heart disease.

11. White Star Sprouting Broccoli

A few other heirloom varieties include: Purple Sprouting Rudolph, and Zamboni Rapini.

White sprouting broccoli is one of two types of sprouting broccoli, with purple being the other. Generally, sprouting broccoli offers a superior flavor compared to the typical supermarket variety, and among the two, the white is notably sweeter and more delicate than the purple. Instead of forming one large head, it produces multiple smaller heads at the ends of its stalks. These tender vegetables are rich in Vitamin C, K, B6, and B9.

10. Gold Rush Zucchini

Other heirloom varieties include: Costata Romanesco and Round zucchini.

Gold Rush zucchinis, or courgettes, are bright yellow in color. These zucchinis have gained popularity in home gardens due to their reduced water content and fewer seeds compared to other varieties. They offer a mild and pleasant flavor whether consumed raw or cooked. This variety is also highly resistant to pests, unaffected even if neighboring squash species become infected.

9. White Scallop Squash

Additional heirloom varieties include: Golden Custard Patty Pan and Patisson Panaché Vert e Blanc.

This ancient Native American heirloom variety of patty pan squash is known for its resilience, able to resist most squash bugs and vine borers. It features a pure white color and a remarkable taste. While it is best harvested when young or immature, it can be collected at any stage of growth. Rich in magnesium, niacin, and vitamins A & C, it’s a nutritious option.

8. White Detroit Beetroot

Other heirloom varieties include: Burpee Golden Beet and Chioggia Beet.

This white beet variety produces tender, sweet roots that are full of flavor. It serves as an excellent alternative in cooking lighter-colored dishes, such as chicken, as it won’t stain your food purple like traditional beets but still offers the same delightful sweetness. These beets are also rich in potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.

7. Blue Hopi Corn

Other heirloom varieties include: Mandan Bride Corn and Saskatchewan Rainbow Flint Corn.

This variety of corn is a dark blue, almost black hue. An ancient heirloom from the Hopi Native Americans, it was a vital food source for them for millennia. Typically ground into blue corn flour, it is coarser than its yellow and white counterparts, but boasts a sweeter and nuttier taste.

6. Purple Italian Globe Artichoke

Other heirloom varieties include: Romanesco Artichoke and Spined Artichoke.

This ancient Italian heirloom variety produces large purple artichoke heads that are more tolerant to both heat and cold compared to green varieties. These striking globes are highly prized by chefs for their tender texture and vivid color. The plant also features silvery leaves, making it a stunning ornamental addition to any garden.

5. Giant Red Celery

Here are some other notable heirloom varieties: the crisp and tender celery, along with the Golden Pascal celery.

This celery variety boasts deep red hues, offering exceptional resistance to frost and cold. It delivers a fantastic flavor, while also serving as an ornamental plant in gardens due to its stunning dark pink-red stems. Whether enjoyed raw or in soups and stews, it adds a vibrant splash of color to your meals.

4. Peter Pepper

Other heirloom varieties include the Black Hungarian and Explosive Ember.

These unusual heirloom peppers, sometimes known as penis peppers due to their distinct phallic shape, come in both red and yellow varieties and have a medium level of heat. Though rare and with an unknown origin, their seeds can be found through private suppliers and growers.

3. Loonar White Carrots

Other heirloom carrot varieties include Dragon Purple Carrots and Atomic Red Carrots.

While the earliest known carrots were primarily yellow and purple, white carrots have existed longer than the familiar orange variety. These lunar white carrots are sweet, tender, and nearly free from core. They have a mild carrot flavor, look stunning in salads, and can easily replace orange carrots in any recipe. Due to the absence of pigments, their nutritional value is somewhat reduced, but they still contain health-boosting phytochemicals.

2. Banana Legs Tomato

Other heirloom tomato varieties include Mr. Stripy Tomato and White Wonder Tomato.

This small, oblong, yellow tomato is adorned with pale stripes. The plant produces an abundant harvest of these sweet, fleshy fruits toward the end of the growing season. They are perfect for salads or for creating a unique tomato paste. These tomatoes also make an excellent alternative to standard cherry tomatoes and can be enjoyed fresh from the vine.

1. Purple Majesty Potato

Other heirloom potato varieties include Mountain Rose Potatoes and Viking Purple Potatoes.

This stunning potato variety is truly remarkable, with its vibrant royal purple color both inside and out. Packed with anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant also found in other purple plants like eggplants, it may look unusual, but it tastes just like other white potato varieties. What’s more, it retains its color even after cooking, allowing for creative dishes like purple chips or mashed potatoes to add a unique twist to your meals.