Costoluto genovese?

[jgaleota]

I started seeds to grow it for the first time after reading an interesting description in a tomato book (not Carolyn's). Belatedly, I searched this forum for info and didn't find much but looked on the Garden Web (GW) tomato forum and pretty much everyone slammed it. Even given that tastes vary, there was not a single positive comment about it, even for cooking. Does anyone here have experience with it? I am wondering if I should not waste my time, or stick it out and see what it does for me?

[Worth1]

I like it and every year I grow tomatoes it is on the list. My plants put out an abundance of small ruffled tomatoes that cant be beat for a conversation starter.
Some say the taste is too mild but I like it. It also sets fruit for me when other larger varieties wont set fruit.

I eat with my eyes as much as anything else and you cant beat a salad ringed with this tomatoes.

Worth

[jgaleota]

That's good to know, Worth. Thanks. I did read that it likes hot weather, which I assume you have a lot of there. Our summer heat can vary from year to year. Do you have consistent high heat in the summer, and if not, do you see a difference in milder summers?

[Worth1]

It changes from year to year last summer wasn't too bad but the year before that is was horrible with temps constantly over 100.

As the temps go up the varieties fail to set fruit starting with the larger tomatoes then it gets to the point that only wild cherry will set.

Worth

[barefootgardener]

Like Worth, I also love Costoluto Genovese. It was the first tomato in my GH and garden to set fruit and mature. It was extremly productive for me all summer long. I really like the flavor,.slightlly mild with a good tomato taste..it is slightly juicy, with seed's, but it still cooked down well for me when making sauce..Just need to cook a little longer..it also makes a fine tomato juice!..I am growing even more plants this year..

[jgaleota]

Great! I wanted to grow it for sauce as well. How does it compare to Goldman's Italian American, which I have seen described as similar? Nice pic, thanks!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by jgaleota

Great! I wanted to grow it for sauce as well. How does it compare to Goldman's Italian American, which I have seen described as similar? Nice pic, thanks!

Seeing the pictures of both varieties and having grown one of them they are very different as to shape and some like Goldman's Italian American and some don't.

Had you read my book you wouldn't have seen any of the Costolutos featured anyway. I've grown both genovese and fiorentino and there's a third one I can't remember. Costoluto in Italian just means ribbed and the three I just referred to indicate where they came from as in Genoa and Florence and _____.

I'm not that enthusiastic about the Costolutos for two reasons. First, as is true with most paste types the taste is not very good and for most paste types they're more susceptible to Early Blight ( A. solani) as well as Blossom End Rot, BER.

Many of us prefer to use non paste types for sauce and use the best tasting, low seed varieties around that have dense flesh, and there are many of them, especially the heart varieties and some beefsteak shaped varieties as well.

I can also list, if you want me to, some paste varieties that I think DO have good taste and can be eaten fresh as well.

As with any variety some folks love it, others not, and that's just the way it is.

[jgaleota]

Actually, I did read your book, Carolyn, (it was great, btw) and did notice that none of the Costolutos were listed. Sure, I would love it if you could give me a list of paste types. I also started Opalka this year as well.

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by jgaleota

Great! I wanted to grow it for sauce as well. How does it compare to Goldman's Italian American, which I have seen described as similar? Nice pic, thanks!

Thank's..
I have not tried G.I.A, so cant compare..But as Carolyn say's, there are many wonderful varieties of pastes that have more meat and less seeds to them..They wont take as long to cook down and have less seeds to deal with..I have the room to grow many diff. varieties of tomatoes, and I love, and am always looking for a great canning/cooking tomato..

But getting back to C.G, I liked the flavor, and since it was extremely productive and the first to ripen, I was able to start making sauce/juice well before the other varieties ripened. And for those reasons, I did not mind a few more seeds and a longer cooking time ..And it was an extremely healthy plant with lots of vigor to it!l

Good luck, I hope you try a few different ones and that they do well for you...I for one am running low on my canned tomato sauce and juice. I have one more quart left of sauce..And only a few pints of paste left..

[jgaleota]

I guess that what I am looking for in a sauce tomato is one that is not overly tart (acidic, or whatever you want to call it) and I was hoping that this would be one. Being 1/2 Italian by genetics, the sauces that my Aunts used to make were definitely not tart and the concept of adding sugar to your tomato sauce (which I have seen in recipes) is totally revolting to me.
Carolyn,
I love the hearts that I grew last year (new for me)---Russian 117, Wes and Danko, but production was VERY low (but then, everything was last year for me) and it is hard to imagine getting enough for sauce. For that matter, they were so delicious for fresh eating that I don't think I could part with a single one for sauce!

As a side note, I am new to this forum and am enjoying it a lot! Many thanks to Paul for pointing me this way!

[husker nana]

Welcome jgalota
How did the Russian 117 grow for you in Nebr.? I seen that one in Carolyn's book and she said it was good for sauce and she liked eating it off the vine. I've made a note to myself to try that one next year.

I'm also Italian and in search of that missing ingredient that I'm lacking in making sauce like my grandmother made. Maybe it's just the love and joy that she had.

Off subject but we will be traveling to Nebr. just for the Spring Game! Are you ready for some football?

[jgaleota]

Thanks, Husker!

Russian 117 grew very well for me but I only got about 4 tomatoes from it the entire season. The taste for me was fabulous!

Judi

See PM on football!

[brokenbar]

Costoluto Genovese...only tomato I make sauce out of. In Wyoming, this tomato was dry (unlike Barefootgardener's experience) Mine came through the tomato mill practically finished sauce and additionally, this tomato never tasted that great fresh for me but cooking really brought out the flavor. These, along with Russo Sicilian Togeta, were always first to ripen and took whatever Mother Nature was handing out, on any given day, out producing most other varieties.

I have probably grown at least 100 varieties of sauce/paste/drying tomatoes (those are the only kind of tomatoes I grow) and I have always come back to Costoluto Genovese. It is also a great salsa tomato.

[brokenbar]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Seeing the pictures of both varieties and having grown one of them they are very different as to shape and some like Goldman's Italian American and some don't.

Had you read my book you wouldn't have seen any of the Costolutos featured anyway. I've grown both genovese and fiorentino and there's a third one I can't remember. Costoluto in Italian just means ribbed and the three I just referred to indicate where they came from as in Genoa and Florence and _____.

I'm not that enthusiastic about the Costolutos for two reasons. First, as is true with most paste types the taste is not very good and for most paste types they're more susceptible to Early Blight ( A. solani) as well as Blossom End Rot, BER.

Many of us prefer to use non paste types for sauce and use the best tasting, low seed varieties around that have dense flesh, and there are many of them, especially the heart varieties and some beefsteak shaped varieties as well.

I can also list, if you want me to, some paste varieties that I think DO have good taste and can be eaten fresh as well.

As with any variety some folks love it, others not, and that's just the way it is.

The ever allusive

Costoluto Catanese
Costoluto Pesarese
Costoluto Parma

Boy...I have been looking for those three for a long time!

[jgaleota]

Thanks for the info, Broken Bar! I was thinking the same thing---that cooking might bring out the flavor of an otherwise "bland" tomato. I was also thinking that this made sense in terms of the origin of tomatoes throughout the world. In other words, that the best fresh eating tomatoes were kept for that and the others were put into sauce and hence, the taste that I am used to, which is mild and non-tart........??????