Growing NJ Tomatoes for Sauce
Are you confused when it comes to selecting varieties of tomatoes to grow in your garden? Tomatoes are bred for specific characteristics, hence the thousands of choices. You have tomatoes that ripen early, and those which take longer to mature but are worth the wait… also plants that fill the space around them, and those which remain compact. There are salad tomatoes, versus sauce tomatoes, versus slicing tomatoes for sandwiches. And of course, you have a variety of tomato sizes, shapes, colors and consistencies.
If your goal is to serve up tasty tomato sauce, some varieties are better suited for the job than others. The best tomatoes for succulent homemade sauces promise fewer seeds while offering a firm, meaty texture.
Tomato Sauce Lovers, Try These Tomato-Growing Options for the Best Sauce-Making Yield This Year
Russian Big Roma
Lauded by tomato experts and master gardeners as “the perfect sauce tomato,” The Russian Big Roma in an heirloom variety that works perfectly in pastes and sauces. Unlike most paste and sauce tomatoes, this is an indeterminate variety which produces large, dark and deep red fruit with a pure and rich flavor available throughout the growing season.
San Marzano
You’ve probably heard the name, as San Marzano has gained widespread popularity in recent years, with rising grocery-store prices to match its blemish-free reputation. This Italian determinate produces a deep red fruit between 3 and 4 inches in length. Some gardening experts believe that the San Marzano makes the absolute best tomato sauce. If you come across a San Marzano to sample, don’t judge by its raw, right-out-of-the-garden taste. The uncooked fruit leaves a lot to be desired, but the process of cooking them down releases magical qualities that do wonders for a good ragu.
Polish Linguisa
The Polish Linguisa tomato imparts hearty, meaty flesh. This beloved heirloom variety of tomato produces large, sausage-shaped fruit that can weigh up to 12 ounces. This particular tomato makes a sweeter sauce or tomato paste, and is a top choice of many discerning sauce-making tomato growers around the world.
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil tomato plant is extremely prolific. With bright red banana-shaped fruits that reach 4 to 5 inches in length at maturity, the Jersey Devil has very few seeds and a rich, sweet flavor. Thanks to its thick, fleshy texture, this delicious tomato can also be eaten straight off the vine in sandwiches and salads.
Amish Paste
This excellent sauce-producing tomato variety was developed in the United States and has been chosen by Organic Gardening magazine as a top paste tomato. Since the versatile fruit is juicier than most other paste tomato varieties, it’s perfect for eating straight from the garden. So, don’t be afraid to add some to your favorite salad or sandwich, but make sure you save enough to makes lots of thick and full-bodied sauce!
Of course, this is list of tomato varieties is far from comprehensive. There are lots of other, terrific choices that can be used to make succulent pastes and sauces. We chose these because they’re typically available at your local garden center or online.
Try adding some or all of these tomatoes to your garden this year for truly outstanding results come harvest time.
Gardening is easy… and it’s also complicated. To become a pro, why not check out our Complete Beginner’s E-Guide to Organic Gardening in NJ Zone 6. Now available in ebook format only, available for instant download via PayPal payment.