Best tomatoes for passata

[mudpies]

I am thinking of making passata this year and wondered if anyone can recommend a good tomato to grow....I've got some Ferline seeds...but am always looking for an excuse to buy more seeds!!

[oldie]

You don't need an excuse to buy seeds............just some money or credit card

[Alison]

I find that you can use any tomatoes but the plum types tend to be best as they are less watery.

[mudpies]

Great, thanks, will get some and pop them in soon :0)

[bazzaboy]

MP, I made loads last year, still using it from freezer, and I didn't distinguish between different varieties as long as they were ripe... but it's an interesting idea that some might be better than others so interested to see suggestions such as Alison's. Something I would also advocate if you haven't already got one is getting a passata maker (ref below).... Some moan about these gadgets but I think they're brilliant at getting rid of all the skin, pips, gunge etc and leaving you with a really good usable product. My tip would be to use it slowly rather than in a whirl and you can put the waste through a second time if it seems wasteful. Bit of a pain to clean, as you take it to pieces and springs emerge etc remember clearly how it fits together again!!
Pic and reviews of the Lakeland one at:
Tomato Master in Uncategorised at the home of creative kitchenware, Lakeland

[bazzaboy]

oh 'eck... I now see Lakeland have discontinued it! Someone else must be making one. You can borrow mine!

[bazzaboy]

Duh! Amazon do one ("only 8 left", how many d'you need?!) but it's the same model as the old Lakeland one but at nearly £30 it's THREE TIMES the price!
Seeds of Italy did one for £25... Worth looking around, eBay possibly.
Cheaper to hop on a train and bring your tomatoes up here... oh maybe not, First Class now over £200!!
Back to Tesco tins.... Crazy world.

[Scousemooncat]

I grew "Inca" in the greenhouse last year - they cropped for ages - right thru til Nov...They had hardly any seeds/watery gunk inside so they were very thick & meaty - great for Passata!....This year however, its "San Marzano 2" for me....

[Alison]

I bought a passata thing that looked a bit like that last year from Westfalia Tomato / Fruit Press at Westfalia Mail Order - UK it worked very well although was a bit messy to clean out and if the stuff you put through was watering you got a bit of leakage but not much and it wasn't a problem.

[zazen999]

I grew "Inca" in the greenhouse last year - they cropped for ages - right thru til Nov...They had hardly any seeds/watery gunk inside so they were very thick & meaty - great for Passata!....This year however, its "San Marzano 2" for me....

Hi - why, if Inca were so good - are you going back to San Marzano....out of interest?

[snuffer]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is Passata?

[zazen999]

Tomato puree for sauces....

[Bren In Pots]

I roast tomatoes in the oven until they go soft then mush them through a potato ricer to get rid of the skins and seeds.

[VirginVegGrower]

I find that you can use any tomatoes but the plum types tend to be best as they are less watery.

I echo this advice. Plums like Roma are best (less water) but I mixed all mine up last year that didn't get eaten fresh or chutneyed or sundried (well oven). I sliced them in half, popped into ovenproof dish, sprinkled with salt, mixed herbs, pepper, olive oil, dash of balsamic, parmigiano reggiano. Oven roast, take out when softened, blitz in a processor, bag and freeze. Bobs my uncle and Tom's my aunty. Or something like that

[Thelma Sanders]

I grow Rio Grande from Seeds of Italy. Big tomatoes and a huge yield per plant, grown as a double/triple cordon so I could support them with canes

Seeds of Italy - TOMATO RIO GRANDE

with the size of their packets, I'll be sticking with these for a good while