Type: Vegetable / Tomato / Indeterminate
Common Names: Tomato
Height: 24" to 36"
Light: Full sun
Water: Average
Soil: Average to Rich
Other info: Original seeds came to me from an elder local garden club member. At one meeting, I had been talking about being disappointed because I could not find my favorite roma tomato seeds, LaRossa. I liked LaRossa because the plants seemed to produce a lot of uniform fruits. However, as I was indicating to this gentleman, I had not found any roma or paste type tomato that had any flavor. He said he only grew two tomato varieties (both heirloom), this one as a paste or roma type variety and another round. He said these had great flavor and that they could be perhaps the only variety you would have to grow. So I had to try them. And they are wonderful! I gave my mom a couple and she said that these actually have that old timey tomato flavor that she thought had been lost (since she usually only gets hybrids). As for the name 'Italian Paste', and the availability to other gardeners, I don't think this tomato has a presence, unless it is one and the same as some other tomato and just got its name from the grower who passed on the seeds to my fellow garden club member. I'm pretty sure my fellow garden club member said that he had been growing this variety for at least 20 years, with a history of 30 or more years before that, and he gave me some details as to where it came from, but I didn't take down that information because I guess I didn't believe there could be such a good tasting paste type tomato. Also, I was thankful that I grew the variety 'Opalka' the same year I grew these. In my opinion, these two tomatoes are very similar. 'Italian Paste' fruits tend to start out larger and are more blocky than having the pointed end as shown on the two fruits in the photo, which were later fruits. And overall, I think 'Italian Paste' fruits are larger and perhaps a bit sweeter. But both varieties have excellent tomato flavor and are great for salsa, canning, sun dried tomatoes and salad tomatoes. I don't believe you would regret growing this one.
At the next garden club meeting that we both attend (who knows how long that will be as we both seem to attend only a few, mine based on the fact I sell at a farmer's market on Saturdays which is the day the meetings are held once a month), I hope to get exact details about the tomato and from where it came.
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Heirloom TOMATO
'Italian Paste'
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