What is a "plum" tomato?

[mudbug]

And how is it different than any other kind of tomato? Why is it called "plum"?

[m brown]

They are shaped like a plum and are meatier and have denser properties
that lend
the tomato to superior sauce. I'm sure there are more intricate scientific
reasons too.

[mudbug]

M Brown,

How do I know I am buying a "plum" tomato?

I've done my research, I can not find any can that says Plum Tomatoes or even in the produce aisle, they are just "tomatoes"... ie: hot house, vine ripened, etc.

[shroomgirl]

shape is oval instead of round. They are also called Italian tomatoes...I have had red, orange, and yellow ones

[Isa]

It's really simple it would either be indicated on the can or the clerck could tell you what kind of tomatoes there are in the produce section. Don't be afraid to ask it is how we learn.

Sisi

[layjo]

They are also known as "Roma" Tomatoes!

[Greg]

There are actually more than one variety of plum tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are one; my favorite is San Marzano. They can be difficult to find and, as far as I've seen are usually sold canned. They're grown in the volcanic soil near Napoli, Italy and have less of a acidic bite. They make excellent sauces.

[nutcakes]

My boyfriend buys me the fancy ones. San Marzano. I really like them for the traditional second generation Ital sauce. I just can't stand to pay the price, so I am fine with at giant can, of plum tomato.

How is your sauce now, cchiu? Do you make sauce and is it better now? If you ask, it is great to hear back.

Do you make good sauce, or good questions?

[This message has been edited by nutcakes (edited September 22, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by nutcakes (edited September 22, 2000).]

[Nick.Shu]

i do think, and im am open to correction, that roma/egg/plum tomatoes have a tendancy to be vine grown, and perhaps vine ripened.

They are the tomato of choice for napolitana sauces and et al. Also very good for semi dries or oven dried tomatoes.

[mudbug]

nutcakes: re: ".....sauce.....questions?"

I just always hear of "plum tomatoes" and finally went out of my way to find them. None of the grocery stores ever say "plum" in the produce section. This is why I asked here.

I do make a good sauce. As far as the questions.... I don't know, what do you think?

[shroomgirl]

Yep~ questions are important for the guy asking....if you don't want to answer that's Ok too. Everyone starts in at some level of understanding.

[mudbug]

Either there's a lot more information on the net now than there was before or I've come a long way in research skills. Anyway, this question was brought to my attention again and this is the research I found. I hope you find it as informative as I have:

The following includes definitions, links, and pics concerning the topic of "Plum Tomatoes".

In the most simple definition, the term "Plum" in reference to tomatoes indicates the "shape". There is also a biological reason they are named "plum" and that is because they have very few "locules" or seed pockets. "Plum" tomatoes tend to have less water content so they are better for dehydrating and commonly used in sauces.


1. 'Amish Paste' 2. 'Anna's Russian' 3. 'Banana Legs' 4. 'Howard's German' 5. 'Martino's Roma' 6. 'Ohio 8556' 7. 'Opalka' 8. 'Rocky' 9. 'San Marzano' 10. 'San Remo

Cooking Basics Dictionary
"There are over 500 known varieties of tomatoes, however, they are usually classified according to their shape of which there are five main groups - beef, cherry, hollow, plum, and round or common. The type of tomato you choose will depend on how you intend to use it.

Plum tomatoes: Also called egg or Italian tomatoes, these varieties are oval in shape, have few seeds and are the favoured choice for Italian tomato sauces. They are sometimes called Roma tomatoes, which depending on the tomato, may or may not be correct, as Roma refers to a particular variety of plum tomato. Plum tomatoes are also the varieties usually chosen for drying. Sun- or semi-dried tomatoes can be purchased from delicatessens and some supermarkets. Oven roasted or semi-dried tomatoes take a little time but can be easily done by the home cook."

The San Marzano Difference: Science Behind the Tomato
"Round tomatoes have between five and seven locules or seed pockets; plum tomatoes like the san marzano have two. How did that happen? "The plum shape might have arisen as a mutation," says tomato geneticist Charles Rick of UC Berkeley. "Only one or two genes differentiate it from the round tomato. It apparently wasn't in any of the original varieties brought into the Mediterranean, but the fact that it is pretty widely spread through the Mayan area [of Mexico and Central America] suggests that it is a very old type of variant."

The San Marzano Tomato
"I begin to track down the san marzano tomato in the U.S.-not a simple task. I discover that the San Marzano legend on an imported can of Italian plum tomatoes may refer to San Marzano the town, not to san marzano the tomato variety, and that the can could therefore just as easily contain roma tomatoes, which are also grown and canned in the San Marzano region but are quite different in taste. Subsequently, using a recipe (at first glance, much too simple) provided by Nick's wife, Rose, I make a basic san marzano tomato sauce that turns out to be absolutely delicious. When made with a can of Progresso roma tomatoes, the results are markedly inferior. I then speak to no less an expert than the produce manager at Balducci's, Manhattan's legendary Italian market. Yes, he says, only the best of several brands of imported plum tomatoes bears the varietal name san marzano."



Cooking Basics Dictionary
"Another variety is the plum tomato (also called Italian plum), a flavorful egg-shaped tomato that comes in red and yellow versions. The medium-sized green tomato has a piquant flavor, which makes it excellent for frying, broiling and adding to relishes."

Tomatoes
"The plum tomato, which resembles a small pear, is 2 to 4 inches long and between 1 and 2 inches in diameter; this variety is less juicy and contains fewer seeds than the others."

Tomato Botany
"Fruit Characteristics. The tomato fruit is a classified botanically as berry. Size varies from small cherry types with only two divisions of the ovary (locules) to large multi-locular beefsteak types.

Two-locules wild types: Examples are cherry tomatoes and processing (plum or pear) types. Cherry tomatoes are small and round and grown only for fresh market. Processing types are usually somewhat larger and can be pear, plum or 'square-round' in shape."

How do you grow tomato plants?
"The plum tomato is primarily used in sauces, but it is often used in other ways. Listed under the Plum variety is the Roma, which matures in seventy-six days, and the Chico III becomes ripe in about seventy-five days."

Italian Vegetables
"The classic Italian plum tomato is used mainly for cooking as it has very little water inside and is very meaty."

Tomato Varieties
"Plum tomatoes often have fine thick flesh and reduced amounts of pulp. This makes them good for holding shape when canned, and it means they also slice quite well. Because they have less pulp they cook down for sauces faster than some. A good tasting cultivar may be the only tomato you need. It has to be said tho', buying canned plum tomatoes from the supermarket is often cheaper and definitely easier than growing and canning your own."



Pomme d'Amour, Love Apples, Pomodori - They're All Tomatoes to Me
"Plum tomatoes, with several varieties in different colors, are well suited for sauces, soups, stews, jams, chutneys and, and because of their dense flesh, for drying."

Varieties of "plum" shaped tomatoes include the following:
Bellstar
Roughwood Golden
Debarao
Black Plum
Thai Pink
Couer De Pigeon Juane
Banana Legs
Ed's Fat
Green Gage
Mankin
Newton Italian
Giles Mullis
Pete's
Baylor Paste
Joe's
Roughwood Golden
Fond Red Mini
Lemon
Chico
Czech
San Marzano
Gary's Late Cannner
Gallo
Hovath
Napoli
Rio Grande
Viola
Minelli
Ivory Egg
Kalman's Hungarian Pink
Costoluto Genovese
Amish Paste
Bisignano
Italian Gold
Black
Canestrino
Airyleaf
Black Ethiopian
Olivette Juane
Baylor Paste
Kalman's Hungarian Pink
Lillian Red Kansas Paste
Mike's Italian
Rosalie's Paste
Madagascar

For more on heirloom tomatoes, look here:

Tomatoes Archive
Seed Savers Organization
Baker's Creek
Heirloom Vegetables

[marmalady]

What beautiful pictures, CChiu - made my mouth water and wish for August, a tomato, a salt shaker, sleeves rolled up, and a sink!

Ummmm - maybe they don't have plum tomatoes in Missouri?!

[daavery]

i know both in the denver area and california the local groceries have plum tomatos almost year round, and the quality is even good to above avg much of the time

[mudbug]

LOL, marmalady!

As I mentioned earlier in this thread... one of the grocery stores ever call them "plum" in the produce section. When I asked this question over a year ago, I was completely ignorant of the definition. I had no idea it referred primarily to the shape (and low water content) of a tomato. For all I knew, it was the "Key Lime" of limes. The best to use but not so easily obtainable for everyone. (Which, apparently, the true San Marzano variety of tomato would be the equivalent for plum tomatoes.)

We've had them all along in the stores, aka "Roma Tomatoes" as the signs say, but you will never see a sign around here that says "Plum Tomatoes". (The things you never learned in grade school...)