Rizzi Softball Plum

My family has grown them for 100 years and counting, and once you taste it, you'll know why. These heirloom seeds from Barletta, Italy were sent to my grandfather in upstate NY around 1920, glued into the closure of a letter from his sister. He grew a forest of them every year, saving seed only from the largest, best-tasting fruits. This is literally the best-tasting tomato you have ever eaten - it even won the SeedSavers Taste-Test in 2026 in the "Cooking Tomato" category! A true plum tomato as big as your hand. Mostly pulp, not seeds, great for sauce OR for slicing (or eat it like an apple - delicious!) Indeterminate. Start indoors or Winter Sow. Seedlings in 2-3 days if soil 80-85 degrees. Takes about 75-90 days to reach mature fruit. Most fruit set early in the growing season, lower on the plant than you might expect. Do not remove any low suckers for this reason (and don't bother with growth past 4 feet tall, in my opinion; prune the top like a hedge instead.) Prevent soil from contacting leaves. Constant moisture is a must for production. Tomatoes are "rock scrabblers" in their native Peru, growing up from between crevices in rocks, where they get even moisture and cool roots. In 2026 I am successfully growing them without agricultural plastic or watering, just by having covered their roots with thin rocks. Support well; fruits are VERY heavy if you get it right! The largest I've grown so far was 15.5 ounces. Recipe for Tomato Passata (AKA tomato puree) Wash tomatoes, remove any bad bits. Taste each, save a few seeds from the best ones. Boil water, throw tomatoes in, remove them once the skins split. Allow to cool. Cut to sizes that will fit in the hopper of a fruit &vegetable strainer/grinder (I use the KitchTree attachment for KitchenAid stand mixer.) Pass the mash through it three times, until the "logs" of mash won't hold together anymore (this step is important, because you are collecting the paste, which is adhered to the skin.) Follow Water Bath Canning protocol for placing in jars. Do not add salt. My family places a clove of garlic, a piece of Bay Leaf, and a sprig of Basil in the jar, but you should do what makes you most comfortable. Two quart jars of Passata will make enough tomato sauce for four people. Rizzi Tomato Sauce Recipe In a large pot, heat Extra Virgin olive oil to fragrant and shimmering over high heat. Add one yellow onion (I prefer it chopped into small pieces, while my mother in law would chop it in half and take it out later) and fry it until translucent. Get two jars of Rizzi Passata opened while you wait. Reduce heat, add at least two cloves of finely-chopped garlic to the oil, fry only until fragrant, then add the Passata. DO NOT let the garlic burn, or you'll have to throw it all out (there's no saving it.) Add some Italian Seasoning (McCormick. etc. is just fine) and some salt (but go lightly, you'll finish salting at the end.) It is traditional to add pork chops or other lean cuts of pork to the sauce. They do not need to be browned first. My mother-in-law always added finely grated Peccorino Romano cheese to her sauce, but my family did not. Stir frequently as the Passata cooks down. Be sure to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning on (if this happens, you'll smell burning food - DO NOT SCRAPE the bottom of the pot with the spoon! Just pour the contents into a clean pot and continue cooking it down.) In about 2 hours, the passata will have thickened to tomato sauce, with orange bubbles on top. At this point, add shredded fresh basil, stir, and turn off the heat. Ladle it over your favorite shape of pasta. My husband prefers spaghetti, but my favorite is orechiette ("little ears") which originated in the same part of Italy as our family tomato, the Puglia region. Our tomato sauce is also fantastic when used in Baked Ziti. In fact, you'll have a hard time stopping yourself from eating the sauce out of the pot.