Quick facts
- Long keeping tomato with a thick skin
- Size of a small slicing tomato
- Ancient variety from Puglia Italy-Traditional variety for storing as "ramallets" or "ramasole", little bunches of tomatoes hung inside as long-keeping tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicum
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70 days, Determinate. We are so lucky to get to grow and offer such an ancient and culturally significant tomato from Italy. Torre Canne Regina is the largest ramallet (aka piennolo) tomato variety we grow. It bears abundant, thick-skinned tomatoes that keep a long time, especially when hung in traditional ramasoles. As farmers with a short-season, we love ramallet tomatoes as we can store them fresh through the weeks and months after the first frost. Torre Canne has traditionally been kept until April! Minimal processing like this preserves the nutrient content of the tomato and is energy conscious as well! According to the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, Torre Canne Regina is named such as the calyx (the green part below the stem) looks like a cute little crown. You will see the little points sticking up if you zoom into the photos! Canne Torre is truly multi-purpose as it can be eaten fresh, sauced, or pasted. We find all the ramallet varieties we grow particularly suitable to saucing because of their thick skin. Canne Torre plants are small, only about 2 ft high, but would benefit from some low-key trellising such as a tomato cage. Please learn more about Torre Canne Regina, as well as other historical and threatened varieties at the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity who state: "The challenge to save biodiversity is not just any challenge. At stake is the future of the plant and human race." We couldn't agree more and we love how Slow Food brings to the fore the threat of the permanent loss of crop and food diversity we face. Just like species, once a variety, with its particular traits, genetic makeup, and cultural history, is no longer grown, shared, and perpetuated, it is at risk of being lost forever. We encourage all who purchase and grow these rare and threatened varieties from us to save and share the seeds themselves. Learn more about the super easy process of saving tomato seeds in our step by step blog post about it here. More about ramallet tomatoes: Ramallet tomatoes (as they are called in Spain), also known as winter tomatoes and piennolo tomatoes (in Italy), refers to a class of Mediterranean heirloom tomatoes that grow in clusters or tresses. Fruit tresses are strung up at the end of the season and stored at room temperature for fresh eating, ripe and unripe fruit alike. Fruits have thicker skins than ordinary tomatoes and ripen progressively. As they dry off the vine like this, their flavor becomes concentrated. Fruits are great for fresh eating, drying further to sundried tomatoes, and/or saucing. If you're into self-sufficiency and eating well in all four seasons, this is the tomato for you. A great choice for short season climates with long winters. Read about this traditional Mediterranean method for storing tomatoes here. |
How to grow it:
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Germ Temp |
Indoor Start |
Germ Days |
Frost Tolerant |
Sun |
Seed Depth |
Plant/Row Spacing |
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65-85 |
4-6 w. |
6-9 d. |
No |
Full |
1/8” |
12”/24” |
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Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before average last frost date. Plant seeds in sterile potting soil and provide 7-10 hours of direct light each day. Thin to the strongest plant per pot. Transplant 24"-36" apart in full sun, benefits from trellising. Harvest tomatoes at full red. Suitable for container gardens. Seed specs: Packet size- 30 min. |