PlantFiles: Tomato
Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Principe Borghese'

Yup this tomato has one purpose - it makes the most delicious sun-dried tomatoes ever! (for something that costs 5 bucks for a small jar in the store sundried tomatoes are really easy - you just put the tomatoes on a rack in a barely-on oven for 24 hours - then either keep them dry or (as we do) pack them in oil). When you do that they are perfectly balanced between tart and sweet and keep forever. For all other uses - slicing, frying, etc - it's pretty much useless.

I really wanted to give this tomato a negative rating, but I have to admit that I didn't dry these, which is what they are best known for. They are awful eaten raw, mushy and not much flavor. Prolific, had great yields, but I wanted a salad tomato, and this is NOT it. Don't grow these for fresh eating, they should be dried or used in recipes (although they are worthless for making sauces in my opinion--deseeding them is tedious and since they are small, there's just not much pulp left afterwards.) I will never grow these again, as I am not really into sun-dried tomatoes.

I grew this year's batch from seed I saved the year before. They are hugely prolific, and are in danger of collapsing under their own weight. I've been jerry rigging cages, bamboo poles and lots of twine to support branches and sprays of 6-7 fruit. I need to rotate crops, but the next time I grow tomatoes, I will consider this one for sure.

Classic tomato suitable for sauces and sun-drying, traditionally grown in the south of Italy. Small egg-shaped fruits, averaging 1" in diameter. Also excellent for fresh eating.

Productive plant, with mild, somewhat dry (paste-type) fruit. Said to be good for drying.

A small plum.