Sowing Tomatoes: San Marzano

Little did I know when I received a copy of Kitchen Garden magazine that I would be growing one of the most unknown but used tomatoes of our time.

Shortly after sowing the Red Cherry tomato I sowed San Marzano plum tomatoes. I really wanted to grow plum tomatoes because not only do I not grow them that often, but when I go abroad, especially Poland in the summer, I often see them and think how wonderful they are.

So I Googled San Marzano tomatoes to write this post and I was amazed at the information available. In short, it’s probably one of the most canned and used tomatoes in the world and you will have probably used them from either a can, sauce or puree without even knowing it.

It’s a very highly regarded variety and has been referred to as the ‘most important tomato of the 20th Century’ – I would expect this because of the food and manufacturing industries it’s fuelled and sustained over the years.

One of the reasons why it’s used for canning is because the flesh is thicker than other varieties of plum tomatoes and there are less seeds. Making it a very profitable product.

I for one are very excited to see how these turn out and I hope they last through UK climes, or we have a decent Italian style summer to help ripen them.

Like the Red Cherry, this variety will require bamboo cane support and the side shoots taken out as they grow.

I honestly had no idea what I was sowing when I planted these seeds – I guess that’s one of the wonderful things about gardening is that discovering different varieties can take you by surprise.

This year I’m growing 4 types of tomatoes and this is the third after after Gardener’s Delight and Red Cherry.

Have you grown San Marzano plum tomatoes before? Were they any good? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. 🙂