Costoluto Genovese

Costoluto Genovese produces flattened, deeply ribbed fruit — the name itself is Italian for ribbed — with glossy, vibrant red skins on vigorous indeterminate vines. Fruits typically weigh 6 to 8 ounces and appear lumpy and convoluted rather than the medium to large round shape typical of most slicing tomatoes, which tend to hold more juice and seeds. The flesh delivers an intense, classic tomato taste with a slightly tart edge, and the large, deep red fruits are described as hearty and full-flavored throughout.

This Italian tomato has long been valued for both canning and fresh slicing, with a flavor well suited to sauce making. Its meaty, juicy flesh also lends itself to roasting as well as eating fresh off the vine, and the ribbed fruit is commonly worked into pastes and other cooked sauces.

Costoluto Genovese performs exceptionally well in hot weather, yet continues bearing fruit as temperatures cool, making it a reliable full-season producer across a range of growing conditions.

Costoluto Genovese is an Italian heirloom tomato variety dating to the early 1800s, said to have been imported directly from Naples as it moved into wider cultivation.