Costoluto Genovese - how does it behave?

the behavior of tomato variety is usually consistent so info on a variety from several years ago is still valid.

As for the unique characteristics of a variety it should easy to find with little searching.

bakersville,

Thanks for your response. I am looking for personal home gardener experience however and have not found much. I have done quite a bit of research but have not gotten enough information to begin my project. The information in seed catalogs and online websites is geared toward selling seeds and is mostly generalizations. I am keenly aware that a gardener in central Texas will probably have somewhat different results than a gardener in Maryland. A strictly organic gardener might have different results than a gardener who sprays. Someone with rich soil may have different plant properties than someone with sandy soil. However, this is the information I want for my project. What better place than GW to come and get opinions from gardeners everywhere??

Does anyone here have personal experience with Costoluto Genovese and if so would you be so kind as to post it here. Any and all information is welcome.

Thanks,
DL

Hey DL,
I grew Costoluto Genovese 3 years ago. It was the first year that I had really tried heirloom varieties, and I grew a few because of their "novelty" value, including Costoluto because of the deep ribbed "look". The plant grew just fine, and produced an average amount of fruit in the 6 ounce range. However, the taste was outstandingly BAD. It reminded me of tomatoes bought at my local supermarket in the middle of January... or maybe WORSE!! This was confirmed by a close friend who also grew that variety during the same season. He and I easily agreed that neither of us would grow it again (with an implied exclamation mark!!!!) So I hate to be the bringer of bad news D, but I hope u have a backup plan for your garden plot. While these maters are as "pretty as can be" on your window sill, they are simply not worth eating. They are without question the worse tasting variety that I have grown... ever. No amount of production value or disease resistance could make up for that.

Really sorry... Unless you want to have some "showcase" maters that taste horrible, consider using your garden space for a more tasty variety (which would be ANY variety) (grin)

Troy

I have to agree that I really did not like the taste of the Costoluto Genevese either, but then again, everyone's taste's are different and what I might not like, you may love.
Best to grow and try it for yourself.
Karen

Thanks thear and heirloomtomato your experiences are exactly what I am looking for. I am doing an experiment and your information will assist me quite a bit.

Cheers,
DL

I too have grown Costoluto Genovese and didn't care for the taste.

I've also grown Costoluto Fiorentino and there are other Costolutos as well.

Costoluto in Italian just means ribbed and so red ribbed ones grown in different places in Italy are named for the region where they came from.

All are RL, none PL, and all are indeterminate.

Carolyn

This season will be my first time growing Costoluto Genovese. From what I've read I figure it will make tasty sauce and not so great fresh eating tomatoes.

How do others like this variety for cooking?

Naturegirl,
I wouldn't bother if you haven't already planted it. Besides the fact that they don't taste good, they are also pretty small and don't process very easily either. The flatness and deep ribbing makes it tough to peel by the blanching method, so that you have to cut out much of the fruit along with the core, and thats a pain with such a small tomato, especially if you want to make alot of sauce. I hate to be such a downer about this variety... but I just don't see much use for them except to maybe take a photo of, right before tossing into the trash...

Good luck though, ya never know........

Troy

So what kind of experiment are u doing there DL, if u don't mind me asking?

The experiment:

I read seed catalogs and web descriptions of many different types of tomatoes. I also read the postings on GW about different tomatoes folks like and dislike. I then pick the ones that sound good - to me. I will then decide which varieties to grow.

I know that taste is totally individual. I also know that soil, fertilizer, weather and other factors can determine how a particular tomato will taste. Tomatoes can also taste different from year to year. But I still want to know how individual people rate certain tomatoes. I have found seed catalog descriptions to mostly be geared toward sales. When I get information from home gardeners I get much better results  for me. My experiment is not scientific it is personal.

You see - I can not stand the taste of most tomatoes. I am what is known as a 'supertaster'. My taste buds are totally out of control. In 2007 I discovered that the tomato seeds were the cause of my problem - with most tomatoes. The fact that most of you posted a distinct dislike for the CG tomato means that I will probably be able to eat it with no problem. Weird?? You bettcha!!

I really appreciate each and every person who posted a response. Thanks!!

DL

I am in mid south texas and have been growing Costoluto Genovese for 5yrs now. my soil is sandy loam and they do well in friends clay soils as well. I do not now why every one on this forum is down on the flavor of this tom. it is one of the best tasting tom. I have grown.I have been growing toms.for 25 yrs.They have become so popular I now grow over 1000 plants a season. I have more request from friends to grow more everyear! It mite be they just need hot and humid growing conditions. As for yield just avg.

cactus184,

Thanks for your response as to yield. I will be growing this tomato and will report back in July as to taste and yield here in Central Virginia Zone 7.

DL

I've grown it for the last 3-4 years. I think the flavor is fine. I dont recall it being particularly good or bad compared to others. I like the shape. I have canned it and dont recommend it for this purpose. It can be peeled ok but it is a watery tomato when cooked that doesnt hold together well. I grow about 10 varieties a year in concrete reinforcing wire cages. My all time favorite is Celebrity, Better Boy a close second. Celebrity is a good canner and always produces a crop. Good fresh variety too. Most of the others I grow are just for variety. Always try to grow a yellow, green, orange etc.

Last year, my costoluto genovese plants were extremely prolific. The deeply ribbed fruits were gorgeous, the plants healthy. Too bad the taste was so utterly bland. Just devoid of flavor. I put them out in a box in my yard every evening with a big sign, "free tomatoes" and they, along with the juliets and black cherries that I also didn't care for, got snapped up, so someone must have liked them!

I am growing them for the first time this year. I always grow heirlooms because they just taste better. My Genovese are huge! I picked one that was 2 pounds 12 oz yesterday. Because they are more acidic, I can see why many people would not prefer them, but that is exactly what I love (and makes them safer for canning). My plants are starting to die off, though, and it is only a couple weeks into the tomato season. There are lots of green tomatoes on the vine. My other tomatoes are doing just fine. Weird.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I know this thread is dead, but thought I'd throw in my $0.02 as well. I ran across it looking for seeds of CG as I was going to plant it, but found out that I didn't save the seeds for some reason. I was looking for a small plant to put into an upside planter that only stands about 4 ft tall.

I grew this year before last.
This plant for me was the smallest I grew that year. One of the smallest I've grown overall.
It produced first and continued to produce through the summer. It was my first and last tomato that year.
Taste wasn't bad. Wasn't great, but wasn't bad. Many of these tomatoes were mostly hollow. Probably would have made a good stuffer.
Tomatoes were small to medium in size. Some were slightly larger than a golf ball. Most were tennis ball sized.

The best thing about this tomato is that it grew well and set well in heat. I'm south of Austin TX, and it gets hot. This tomato was still producing after most of the other plants simply died from the heat. The only problem I had with this plant was that it defoliated (as do all my plants around August), causing sunburn on most of the tomatoes.

As for the taste people complain about, it could be region. Everyone I've known to grow it in Texas has had no complaints. I've read that it is a heat loving plant. It may only produce tasty fruit in the heat. YMMV.

These are the first tomatoes in my garden every year. I transplant out 5-6 week old plants on June 1st. This year the first ones were ripe on August 8, which is great in Spokane, WA. We irrigate by drip irrigation, as summer rain is rare in Spokane. These tomatoes are OK fresh, but ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC WHEN DRIED Like sweet tomato taffy with an acidic bite. Cut the tomatoes in 1/2" slices, and shake out most of the seeds. Just pack the dried tomatoes in a tightly sealed canning jar and store them in a cool place. Try pairing them with lightly toasted pecan or walnut halves and red wine for an super simple appetizer.

I've been reading about these tomatoes on another list where somebody who is crazy about making sauce claims that they make the BEST sauce! I was thinking about growing a plant next year.

I like the shape, color and look, a departure from the genetically breath PERFECTLY ROUND grocery store type tomatoes.

I would think that taste can be subjective. And then for cooking, sauce ... the taste is a different matter when you get other things like garlic, peppers, parsley.. into the picture.

This is my second year growing them. Last year they were my most prolific plant, by far. They are not ripe yet this year, but the plant is healthy and has 60-70 fruit in the works.

I used the majority of them in sauce, (which was excellent) many were almost hollow, but meaty. I didnt have a problem with the taste raw, but but I usually used others for salads/sandwiches.

Costaluto Genovese are a wonderful saucing tomato - if you eat them fresh, prepare to be disappointed (until they're well cooked, they're watery and flavorless). When cooked down, the flavor and texture are superb. The flavor is spicy and full of tomato richness without the overly sweet flavor you get with tomatoes such as Early Girl that can have you adding more and more garlic and salt to a tomato sauce to overcome.

I've grown these tomatoes three times here in the Bay Area - once in El Cerrito and twice in the Fruitvale district of Oakland. I had much better luck with the plants I purchased as starts from Territorial than those I started from seed, myself.

This sensitive, blight-prone indeterminate tomato needs some serious support to keep from breaking its own branches with the weight of its fruit. Last year I had an otherwise unoccupied strip of fence that I decided to train them up with some string instead of installing cages. I lost a lot of fruit to sun scald and breakage. You can see how much foliage the plants have lost to blight.

If I was going to grow them again, I'd grow them spiraled around Texas Tomato or other similar large, sturdy cages, tied at every juncture to support the developing fruit.

After the fruit starts to ripen it's best to avoid watering as these fruit are very prone to splitting. As soon as they look ripe - harvest. These tomatoes are not keepers. If only one or two ripen at a time, freeze them whole until you have enough to process.

To best enjoy this tomato, I recommend washing and drying the fruit, slicing in half or thirds depending on the size - you want to expose as much horizontal surface area as possible so the water can bake out. I never worry about blemishes in this step unless it already looks rotten. Arrange them in a baking dish with a little space around each one, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 200 for 3-4 hours, until they're soft and starting to look dried.

At that point you can either cool and run them through the food mill and store the paste or - as I prefer, just pack them in half-pint Mason jars, press down to get the air bubbles out, close with plastic lids, label and freeze. When they thaw the skins have pretty much broken down and it makes great sauce or a finish to a stew, chili - any place you want a lot of tomato flavor but without a lot of sweetness.

Another tip - the ejecta from the food mill is still totally full of flavor. I simmer the skins, seeds, etc. with a little water, strain and jar it up as tomato stock. It makes a great addition to soups, sauces, etc.

I disagree, as do a few others (long ago above). I grow Costoluto Genovese every year, and I find it a wonderful tasting tomato. Your picture of the plants doesn't look anything like mine. Those in your picture look like very weak and spindly plants. Are they getting enough sun? Oh, it's blight? Never had that problem. Mine are dense bushes, with strong branches (already three foot high bushes). Absolutely no trouble holding the fruit. Here in Texas (HZ10), where the sunlight is powerful and the heat is vicious, I've never seen problems with sunscald.

BTW, I not only start my own seed, but I use the seed I collect in previous years. The plants that come out of these seeds are strong and vigorous.

This must be a case where different growing conditions leads to radically different tomato quality. Your post comes across as some perfectly informed review, but it isn't. Sorry, but we probably just need to admit that it's a bit more complicated than what you've sketched out.

I'm growing CG for the first time this year. It's a variety that the gardeners at Monticello grow -- it's considered a 19th century tomato. Jefferson was among the earliest Americans to grow tomatoes. (Also growing two of Jefferson's favorite lettuces -- tennis ball and dutch brown -- and they're looking good so far. The dutch brown really does have brownish leaves, too. :)

daninthedirt wrote that these "tomato costolo genovese are strong healthy bush tomatoes". Here in the UK (Yorkshire) the seed is sold as indeterminate (cordon) tomatoes. I'm growing them for the first time this year and the plants grown from seed are healthy and robust but have reached 2'6" tall, set a fruit truss with a number of normal size flowers and one very large flower. Is this normal with this cultivar? The plant seemed to terminate with this fruit truss but then strong growth has commenced with growth from a leaf node. It seem to me that this cultivar isn't indeterminate but an determinate (bush) tomato! Can you please confirm this for me? Also, does the fruiting truss need the extra large flower removing by nipping out or is it needed for fertilisation.

Would be most grateful if you could help your English cousin with this!

Kindest regards,

Tony

tony.jan5@btinternet.com

Hi there,

I live in Rochester NY and I've grown this tomato every year for at least 4 years. It's my favorite tomato! I love the look of it, so unusual, but the flavor and texture is what keeps me coming back. I find it acidic, but I enjoy that personally. And I wouldn't say that they are watery at all, but very juicy. I've never tried canning them, but for fresh eating, I slice them and put them on a piece of toasted bread with a little mayo, salt, and basil...omg. heaven. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! I know some people prefer a higher meat-to-seed ratio, but I think they have been pretty even in my experience. They do also make a good sauce! I don't bother skinning them; I cook everything and then run it through a food mill.

If it's at all helpful, I usually grow them in a mixture of miracle-grow garden soil and top soil. I give a dusting of Epsom salts and eggshells when I first plant them outdoors in May/early June and fertilize maybe once a month with miracle grow feeder. I know, a lot of people frown upon miracle grow, but I haven't had a problem with it yet.

happy planting!

Hi ala,

I live in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, England and I'm growing them for the first time. The seed packet said that they are a indeterminate (cordon/vining) variety so I am growing them in a greenhouse using canes for support. However, although they are growing well and look healthy they are behaving more like a bush variety. As you have grown them for a few years, how do you grow yours? I don't want to pinch out all of the side shoots to find that they are a bush variety. Would love to hear your comments!

Best wishes

Tony

Here's my upside down (for some reason) picture of last summers Costoluto. Early in the season it rained a lot, and the flavor was just average, but the texture was mealy or pithy, so we ate them mostly in salads. Once the year became very hot and drier, we used the emitters on a drip irrigation system and the texture and flavor vastly improved. It probably was the most tomatoey, if that's a word, tasting tomato I remember eating.

Yes they are determinate, some plants were 5.5 ft tall, they need to be caged or trellised and have the branches that are heavy with fruit supported with soft ( we used old socks) slings. They were medium sized fruits, very pretty, and like all garden grown tomatoes, the skin is tough, so we liked them better when peeled. I don't remember extra watery, but they did seem to have a lot more seeds than others. We combined them with the smaller round Abu Rahwan tomatoes in the picture, and made salsa from them, we tried to strain out most of the seeds, but there were still plenty. Seed savers won't be disappointed.

We pinched out suckers on our plants occasionally, after the garden became a Jungle, we stopped. We are in central oklahoma summers 90 to 105 Farenheit . There were 2 volunteer seedlings that we transplanted to another part of the garden this year. They survived the winter and 20 inches of rain this month, so it will be interesting so see how they produce.

Only the volunteers and 3 transplants in peat pots survived the spring, so were probably not going to have another bowlful like the picture very often.

Oops just read my post. They INdeterminate

My Costalutos are six feet high right now, and I've just started picking ripe fruit. I have them growing on doubled commercial tomato cages, which work quite well. I use wire ties to latch them to the cages. No pinching, though in the last week or two I've been topping them because there is no support above 6 feet! Yes, the skin on the fruit is pretty thick compared to other slicers, but I like that.

If I said that they were "bush like", I just meant that they were less viney than cherry tomatoes. They certainly grow vertically. Also certainly indeterminate.

I've been harvesting seeds from them for the last few years, and I even rescue some plants from the compost pit. The seeds are quite large, and I find they germinate pretty indestructibly.

Hi Dan,

So if you don't pinch out side shoots do they fruit on the side shoots as well as the main cordon stem? Any chance of a photo of this year's plants? I'm new to growing this variety and they don't seem to be growing like any tomato I've ever grown before. It would be good to see how our American cousins grow these! Envy you for being able to start harvesting as early as June. We don't get the weather for that over here in the UK. Night temperature down to 42deg f last night and daytime temp only 60deg f. Can only grow tomatoes in the greenhouse. Good news is that my Costolutos Genovese are flowering and the bottom trusses are setting fruits.

Well, this picture probably won't help much, as it is one plant that is 6.5 feet tall, and so I'm kind far away. It's the tall one in the middle. But there are fruit at all levels, and on side branches everywhere. I've started harvesting, and have already picked about three per plant near the bottoms. Yes, we have early tomatoes, but when the heat sets in in a month or two, the plants will no longer fruit.

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the photo, that has answered a whole host of queries. Here in England we would class this as a determinate variety (Bush) and not an indeterminate (Cordon/Vining) variety.

Mine are grown in a glasshouse to help maintain a decent temperature and are currently about 3 feet tall. I have been removing side shoots as the seed packet stated that they were cordons. I shall stop doing that now and allow them to put on side shoots. Support will give me a few problems but I will find a way around that as they grow. I may have to remove a plant to make room for the bushy growth as I hadn't appreciated how big a plant this variety would be.

The flowers on the lower truss are fertilized and fruits are setting, so I'm looking forward to sampling the taste, fingers crossed!

Thanks once again,

Kindest regards

Tony

Tony -

I usually consider determinate/indeterminate to be indicative of the fruiting schedule. That is, determinates do it all at once, while indeterminate do it continuously. Certainly indeterminate varieties tend to be somewhat more vining -- cherries are very much so. But Costoluto Genovese fruit throughout the summer, unless the temperatures get really high. No question that one can try to get vining tomatoes to bush by trimming. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

Now, having said all that, I am somewhat perplexed that while my plants are now loaded with fruit, and growing like crazy, the flowering has stopped. That's unusual. I hope these plants aren't going "determinant" on me! It may be that the plants are simply smart enough to know that they can't easily support any more fruit until a lot gets harvested.

Dan