Plum tomato

A plum tomato, also known in the United States as a processing tomato or paste tomato, is a type of tomato bred for sauce and packing purposes.^[1] Plum tomatoes are generally oval or cylindrical in shape, with significantly fewer locules (seed compartments, usually only two or three)^[1] than standard round tomatoes and a generally higher solid content, making them more suitable for processing into paste.^[1] Plum tomatoes are also sometimes favored by cooks for use during the tomato off-season, as they are generally considered more amenable to handling and are therefore available in a state closer to ripe than other supermarket tomatoes.^[1]

Plum tomato
Plum tomatoes
Species	Solanum lycopersicum

Varieties

Varieties commonly available in United States markets include Roma VF and San Marzano (semi-determinate; a signature tomato of Italian cuisine^[2]), though there are many other varieties, such as the short-season Ropreco Paste and the larger Amish Paste and Big Mama. Five hybrid cultivars grown in California constitute over 60% of total production of processing tomatoes.^[3]

Small plum tomatoes (similar in size to cherry tomatoes) are known as grape tomatoes.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Canned tomato
• List of tomato cultivars