Plum tomatoes

photo credit: gourmetsleuth

Other Names:italian tomatoes, paste tomatoes, sauce tomatoes

What is Plum tomatoes?

Plum tomatoes or Italian style tomatoes are red, firm, egg shaped paste tomatoes. This tomato is meaty and is used to make tomato sauce or tomato paste. It can also be served as a salad tomato. The two types of tomatoes shown here are San Marzano on the left and Roma on the right.

Where To Buy Plum Tomatoes

Most well-stocked grocery stores carry fresh plum style tomatoes. We find that they typically taste better than the average grocery store slicing tomato although they still lack the flavor of a home grown plum tomato.

Substitute for Plum tomatoes

If your recipe calls for fresh plum tomatoes you can substitute canned for fresh; for 1 lb fresh tomatoes use 1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes (if you are cooking with them; not for salads. OR you can use regular slicing tomatoes and a couple teaspoons of tomato paste. Slicing tomatoes are more watery and sweeter than plum tomatoes so the paste will thicken the mixture a little and add more depth to the flavor.

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Tomatoes

These are from my 2018 crop of tomatoes. They became about 6 pints of tomato sauce.

plum tomatoes in colander

Nutrition Information For Plum tomatoes

Serving Size

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Calories

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 7mg

Potassium

353g

10%

Total Carbohydrate 6g

Dietary Fiber 2g

10%

Sugars 4g

Protein 1g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%	•	Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Favorite Plum tomatoes Recipes

Pasta With Turkey Italian Sausage & Tomato-Vodka Sauce
A family favorite this recipe uses turkey Italian sausage (you can use pork sausage as well) with a rich tomato, vodka cream sauce.
Eggplant Parmesan
The best eggplant parmesan recipe uses garden fresh tomatoes, eggplant, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese.
Salsa With Grilled Chiles and Papalo
Grilling chiles brings out the flavor and imparts a nice smoky nuance to the salsa. Papalo is similar to cilantro but not the same. Look for it at your local farmer's market.
Grilled Paneer Cheese with Mango Chutney & Curry Vinaigrette
Paneer is a firm, grillable Indian cheese with a mild flavor. This cheese absorbs the flavors of an added sauce or dressing. Served with chutney and a curry vinaigrette.