San Marzano tomatoes are famous worldwide for their sweet penchant and thick flesh . Their reputation is a gold standard by which other tomatoes are judged .
They are a high-pitched yield love apple variety with beginning dating back to 18th C Italy .
San Marzanos are not a commonly grown cultivar and there ’s a crushed probability of finding starters , which is why your best option is to start growing them from seed .
Photo Credit: Claire Gowen
Here are some facts you might not know about this wonderful tomato variety .
What Is So Special About San Marzano Tomatoes?
A pizzaiolo deserving his common salt knows that the key to a corking pie is found in the right sauce .
The best sauce is a slight unfermented with a tart taste . This is what San Marzano tomatoes put up . So what really makes them so exceptional ?
Near Naples , in the Campania region of Italy , these tomatoes are grown in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius . They ’re grow inrich volcanic soilwhich gives them blue acidity and a angelical feeling .
Photo Credit: Claire Gowen
A stable climate , sunny weather , and law of proximity to the Mediterranean work together to make these Lycopersicon esculentum great for any garden .
Because San Marzano plant life are delicate , the tomato are handpicked immediately when they ripen . Their high calibre makes them an all - time dearie to use in cooking .
Are San Marzano Tomatoes the Same as Roma Tomatoes?
Even though they are related and exchangeable in appearance , there ’s more than one way to descry the conflict .
San Marzanos are plum Lycopersicon esculentum , but thinner and more pointed thanRoma tomato plant . Their walls are thicker and describe with fewer seeds . This accounts for their modest acidity and make them a sweeter salmagundi .
They have a thick skin that is sluttish to flake and when ripe , they are a deep reddened color . San Marzano tomatoes havea gloomy semen countcompared to other plum tomatoes . This eccentric usually has 2 come pockets , whereas the regular kind has four or five .
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Once San Marzano Lycopersicon esculentum seeded player are sown , it takes 75 to 80 days for the fruit to mature and be ready to prune and do . Starting your tomatoes from seed should be done close to 8 weeks before the last average frost in your country .
These Italian love apple are available from the jump of August to the ending of September .
Are Some San Marzano Tomatoes Fake?
Some San Marzano tomatoes have been the subject of fakery , like European olive tree oil or honey . prescribed San Marzano can tomatoes are sell cut in half or peeled whole . Genuine San Marzano canned tomatoes endure aPomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese NocerinoD.O.P recording label .
Bonafide give notice San Marzano Lycopersicon esculentum from Italy are consistent in their deep carmine colour , vivacious gustation , and firm build . Harvesting is done when the tomato are perfectly mature .
Knowing where the Italian canned tomatoes in reality come from instead of where they were distributed is important .
photo by Gardening Channel reader Redeemed Heritage Farm
How to Grow San Marzano Tomatoes
Italian San Marzano tomato have been grown for hundreds of eld and it ’s gentle to see why . The plants mature to a manageable tallness of5 to 6 feetand bring out a handsome harvest .
The tomatoes are thoroughgoing for gardeners looking to make the most of a patio or small space .
To maximize your low space , go for a determinate San Marzano works as they are hybrids that raise bushier , shorter plants .
For example , you could enjoy a harvest time from a golden San Marzano hybrid which grows to be 3 foot marvelous and is thoroughgoing for any container garden .
The only drawback is that this type may not produce a large harvest compared to the intermediate mixed bag , as the plants are small .
They are well grown inplant hardiness zone 5 through 10of the U.S. Department of Agriculture .
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To grow San Marzano tomatoes in your home , here ’s what you necessitate to know :
Start From Seeds
San Marzano plant can be buy from garden centers , but you gain a mint more by growing your own !
We commend depart out with the intercrossed San Marzano type as it gives you a bigger harvest and take less time to mature . you could later switch to a inheritance character love apple if you prefer .
you’re able to easily keep track of your Lycopersicon esculentum plant , recording the years as well as how and where it was grown .
This allows you to maximise your proceeds as you are clothe in proper seedling care and timing . The seeds should be planted indoors for 6 to 8 weeks before the last leaping frost .
Remember : Lycopersicon esculentum need close to 6 - 8 hours of direct sunshine day by day . The San Marzano variety is no unlike .
Containers and Cages
When it comes to tomato plant , San Marzano can begrown in containersand transplanted later . ensure to use a big container – a 20 - congius one will do .
These plants grow with keen vigor and their beginning system is test copy of that . A low container will diminish your payoff by causing the roots to cramp .
Even though this type of plant does n’t turn to be as orotund as other smorgasbord , they need the musical accompaniment of a cage . A tomato batting cage will help the plant life grow up and support the fruit branches .
Without one , your harvest can be ruined if the love apple droop , become overcrowded or imprint on the solid ground . Your plant could also break under its own exercising weight . see a love apple cage ` that is at least 5 foot magniloquent – this provide the good results .
Water Requirements
It ’s lively not to overwater your San Marzano tomatoes . A great approximation is to evaluate the top - most layer of the land in the pot . If the grain is a little grainy and teetotal , slowly sprinkle some piss onto it .
Using a sprinkler on these special Italian plants or applying a dripping system is the best way of life to go . tearing cans with a big scuttle can deflower the plant by washing the soil forth .
Fertile, Well Draining Soil
To match up to the deep volcanic soil of Italy , put your seeds in ground that is full of nutrients and wet .
If your tomato works is in a container , make certain you use high - quality potting soil ; if they are in - ground , then tote up senior manure or compost for more constitutive nutrients . This is done because Marzano tomatoes are heavy feeders .
ascertain that the soil drain well in either suit . The antecedent of plants in slow - draining soil can be smothered and cause rot .
take note : If you pick out to transplant your tomato plant outside , the fruit will ripen within 70 - 80 days . When advanced , grown Lycopersicon esculentum will detain fresh for 2 to 3 days if stored at way temperature .
slice or cooked Italian Marzano tomatoes should be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week .
Learn More About Home Gardening
Find out more about growing tomatoes from the Gardening Channel .
With our Brobdingnagian range of article , you ’re trusted to observe the data you ’re looking for to excel in your dwelling house horticulture .
Here are a few great article to get you started :
Photo fromFlickrbyForest and Kim Starr
