Perhaps you've read a recipe that calls specifically for canned San Marzano tomatoes. But what's so great about these particular tomatoes anyway?
San Marzano tomatoes are the most famous plum tomato to come out of Italy. They are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base of Mount Vesuvius, which gives them a sweet flavor and low acidity and they are coveted for their firm pulp, deep red color, easy to remove skin and low seed count. In fact while regular round tomatoes usually have four or five locules or seed pockets, plum tomatoes like those from San Marzano have only two.
In San Marzano, the tomato harvest begins in August and runs through September. The crops are very delicate and all the tomatoes are picked by hand at the peak of their ripeness. Because of the close attention to quality, many cooks consider San Marzano tomatoes to be among the best in the world to use in a sauce.
mmm, i love these tomatoes! i've been stocking up on them every time we're at the store, and my huband makes fun of me, but we always use them up within a week or two.
missmobtown, do you live in bmore? i do!
Been using these since my nonna taught me how to make sauce. Would never,ever use anything else.
And one more thing: they aren't overly juicy which helps when making sauce.
thanks so much for the history! I have bought these in the past and wondered what the story was.
mfm, I was born and raised there but San Fran has been my home for the last three years!
missmobtown: too bad! it would've been nice to have a Kitchen pal in town!
Question: I understand it is important to buy organic tomatoes, as they are on the list of fruits/veg with the highest level of pesticides. Can I disregard that for these tomatoes since they are grown in Italy?