If you want to make great homemade salsa from your garden, it all starts with growing the best type of tomatoes to give you the flavor, meatiness and texture you need. And with any or all of the three tomatoes featured in today’s article – that is exactly what you can do!
So what makes a tomato great for making salsa? For starters, it must have a thick, dense flesh that holds up strong in the salsa. Watery and thinner walled tomatoes might be great for making juice – but they can make a salsa less than desirable for holding strong on a chip.
Meaty tomatoes create a salsa that holds its structure, even after mixing with other juicy ingredients like onions, peppers, and lime juice. Even better, meaty tomatoes tend to have a far smaller seed and gel core – also lending to a thicker salsa.
Last but not least, flavor is a huge factor as well when it comes to finding the perfect salsa tomato. A rich, slightly sweet, and tangy and acidic profile helps to provide the perfect base and balance when blending with all of the other ingredients.
So what tomatoes fit all of those qualifications? Well, as it turns out, there are three tomatoes that soar above all others for making salsa – and they all fall into the “Paste” category of tomato varieties.
The 3 Best Tomatoes To Grow To Make Salsa
Paste tomatoes have a natural advantage when it comes to making great salsa. They offer less liquid, fewer seeds and firm, tasty flesh. Which, of course, is exactly the qualities described above that make for a great salsa. And when it comes to the best of the best paste tomatoes – it’s nearly impossible to beat San Marzano, Amish Paste and Roma varieties!
All three of these paste tomatoes offer exceptional flavor and meatiness – as well as high yields. Here is a look at each of the three – and how to grow them like a pro!
#1) San Marzano – The Best Tomatoes To Grow To Make Salsa
San Marzano tomatoes are famous for their rich, tangy flavor and dense flesh. Originally from Italy, this heirloom variety is widely considered one of the best cooking tomatoes in the world.
San Marzanos are small to medium in size and have a long, plum like shape. Their deep red color and low water content make them perfect for salsas that need to simmer and thicken without becoming watery.
San Marzano tomatoes also have very few seeds. In fact, of all three tomato types listed today, they have the fewest amount of seeds. That means there’s far less prep work when getting them ready for salsa making. Affiliate Seed Link: Marzano Tomato Seeds – Non-GMO, Heirloom Tomato Seeds
Growing San Marzano
San Marzano plants are indeterminate, which means they produce fruit continuously throughout the growing season. This is ideal for gardeners who want a steady supply of tomatoes for fresh batches of salsa.
San Marzanos thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and they’re known for being relatively disease-resistant. As an indeterminate, they will grow tall and need to have some type of support to keep vines and the tomatoes off the ground.
As with all of the tomatoes featured today, they are heavy feeders from the soil. It’s best to fertilize plants every two weeks with a diluted dose (1/2 of recommended dose) of liquid fertilizer. This will keep plants growing steady without overpowering the plants.
#2) Amish Paste – The 3 Best Tomatoes To Grow To Make Salsa
Amish Paste tomatoes are another excellent variety for salsa making. The heirloom tomato has a sweet, mild flavor that balances perfectly with the heat of peppers and the tang of vinegar or lime in salsa recipes.
Amish Paste tomatoes are usually a bit larger that San Marzanos and have a blocky, plum-like shape. Their meaty texture and low water content make them ideal for creating a thick, hearty salsa. They, too have a smaller seed core, although they do have a few more than San Marzanos.
Growing Amish Paste Tomatoes
These tomatoes grow on indeterminate plants, producing fruit steadily throughout the season. Amish Paste plants are vigorous and need plenty of space to spread out, as well as strong supports to handle their heavy yields. Affiliate Seed Link: Burpee ‘Amish Paste’, Tomato Seeds
Amish Paste perform well in rich, fertile soil and require consistent watering to keep plants healthy and producing. In addition, regular fertilizing is needed to keep plants flowering and fruiting.
As heirloom tomato types, both San Marzano and Amish Paste seeds can be saved. That can be especially helpful for saving on the budget year after year! See: How To Save Tomato Seeds Now For Next Year – With Ease!
#3) Roma Tomatoes – The 3 Best Tomatoes To Grow To Make Salsa
The last of the three salsa tomato varieties featured today is the Roma tomato. Roma’s are known for their balanced flavor, which can best be described as having the perfect ratio of sweetness to acidity.
Whether you’re making a fresh pico or a traditional salsa, Roma tomatoes hold their texture well. They also blend smoothly with other ingredients. Their uniform size and shape also make them easy to work with, whether you’re chopping them by hand or processing them in a food processor.
Roma tomatoes are small to medium in size and have more of a classic oval shape. Like San Marzanos and Amish Paste tomatoes, they also have dense flesh, few seeds, and low moisture content, all of which contribute to a thicker and more flavorful salsa.
Growing Roma Tomatoes
There is something different about Roma tomatoes than the other two varieties – and that is that they are indeterminate. So, if you like to make and can and save a lot of salsa at once, they are the perfect variety to grow!
Roma’s thrive in sunny locations with well-draining soil. And even as an indeterminate, they benefit from regular fertilization to maximize their yield. The plants are also compact and manageable, making them a good choice for smaller gardens or container gardening.
Additionally, Roma tomatoes are widely available and relatively easy to grow. There are some Roma varieties that are heirloom, but also some that are hybrid. If you will be saving seeds, you will need to be sure to purchase open-pollinated (heirloom) plants or seeds. Affiliate Seed Link: Roma Tomato Seeds – Heirloom
Here is to growing some of the best salsa tomatoes around in your garden this year. And even more, to making delicious homemade salsa all summer long!
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