(Lycopersicon esculentum) Crispiano is a unique and wonderful storage tomato hailing from the town of the same name in the province of Taranto in southern Italy's Puglia region. Amusingly, it is a very firm (borderline crunchy) tomato, giving the name an extra layer of appropriateness. Selected for many years by farmers of the area for qualities that allow it to store well into the winter months, it is one of the most durable tomatoes we have grown. The fruits are slow to mature on indeterminate vines and never quite look or feel ripe to the touch, shifting from yellow with green streaked shoulders to an orange/red blush (giallorosso means yellow-red in Italian). Traditionally stored in single layers in wooden crates or hung in clusters ("Nzerte") similar to Piennoli, they can last for months after harvest in the right conditions. The flavor is defined by classic, very high acidity, a firm and toothsome flesh, and a burst of juicy seed/gel center. The context makes sense when considering another food tradition of the region Frise, a twice-baked circular bread that somewhat resembles a sort of bagel-cracker. Since ancient times Frise were also designed for storage, with their crispy texture and a circular shape allowing them to be strung through the center hole in bunches, thus a 'traveler's bread' to workers and fishermen who were away from home for stretches. Quickly rehydrated with a dip in water they made a substantial meal. More recently with the tomato as a topping the juice helps soften the bread while the firm flesh coats and seasons the top.
In our home we don't consider Crispiano much of a tomato for cooking in any way, preferring it chopped on grilled bread or in something like pico di gallo.
Given this modern world of food distribution and the availability of tomatoes in the markets year round, Crispiano Giallorosso has very much fallen out of fashion and is no longer widely grown, though Slowfood has set up a presidium of a handful of growers to celebrate the variety and its tradition.
80 days. Indeterminate. UO

Packet: 35 seeds

[split]

Growing Info

SOWING:

Sow 5-8 weeks before your last frost date.

Transplant out after danger of frost (45+F nighttime temps).

Note: Don't start too early or plants will be leggy and root-bound! Tomatoes do well in clay to loam soils.

PLANTING DEPTH:

1/8-1/4"

SPACING:

18-30" spacing in rows 5' apart.

EMERGENCE:

5-10 days @ soil temp 70-85F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Medium-Heavy. Prefers well-drained, well-balanced fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.0. Note that excess Nitrogen will encourage foliage, not fruit! Low calcium and irregular watering will result in blossom end rot.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Row cover may be used for extra warmth and possible earlier fruit set.

Irregular watering can result in blossom end rot. Even watering and supplemental calcium can help prevent this.

Plant deeply to encourage healthy root structure.

Indeterminate varieties may benefit from pruning suckers to encourage air flow, plant health, and energy towards plant top and fruit.

Determinate varieties do not need pruning.

Trellis Indeterminate varieties! We really like the Florida weave.

Tomato, 'Crispiano Giallorosso'