Mainly Sicilian, Italian Listings- Seed Savers Exchange

8 years ago

Hey Everyone!

I very recently began to list some varieties on Seed Savers Exchange and would like to share the list here. For any SSE members, info and pictures can be found here: https://exchange.seedsavers.org/catalog/results.aspx?type=member&mem=14871

You can request seeds through SSE or I can give a few seeds for free as well so see this as a list of what I have available. Contact me for pictures.

ALCARA CHERRY

Traditional Sicilian cherry type from Alcara Li Fusi. Not very sweet. Used in salads or added to sauce.

ALCARA GLOBE

This is a traditional variety of Alcara Li Fusi, a village in the Nebrodi Mountains of northeastern Sicily, Italy. After growing out heirloom seeds from the village, different variations were found (see other listings). One plant produced an abundant harvest of medium red globe-shaped tomatoes with slight pleating and this is the one offered here. This type is ideal for sauce-making and the flavor is very good fresh as well.

ALCARA PEAR

This is a traditional variety of Alcara Li Fusi, a village in the Nebrodi Mountains of northeastern Sicily, Italy. After growing out heirloom seeds from the village, different variations were found (see other listings). One plant produced red pear-shaped tomatoes and this is the one offered here. This type is ideal for sauce-making and the flavor is very good fresh as well.

ALCARA PINK

This is a traditional variety of Alcara Li Fusi, a village in the Nebrodi Mountains of northeastern Sicily, Italy. After growing out heirloom seeds from the village, different variations were found (see other listings). Most of them produced large/medium pink tomatoes and this is the one offered here. This type is ideal for sauce-making and the flavor is very good fresh as well.

CORLEONESE

A very compact and drought-tolerant variety traditionally cultivated around the town of Corleone in the Palermo Province of Sicily, Italy. Very good for sauce and paste. The seeds were collected from fruits bought at the historic Ballaro' Market in Palermo.

FIASCHETTO DI MANDURIA

Fiaschetto di Manduria is a traditional drought-tolerant variety from southern Puglia in Southern Italy used for sauce, drying, and salads. The image is of a plant producing under severe drought/water-stress conditions in Southern California.

FIASCHETTO DI MANDURIA X CHEROKEE CHOCOLATE F2

Cherokee chocolate is a well-known heirloom from Tennessee and Fiaschetto di Manduria is a traditional Southern Italian variety from Puglia (see the listings for each of these more info). An F1 hybrid of these varieties was successfully produced and photos of this F1 are included here. The seeds offered are the self-cross of this F1, and therefore the F2. The F2 will have a wide diversity of shapes, sizes, tastes, and colors so this might be interesting as selection material for anyone who would like to try their hand at breeding. For instance 1/4 of the plants will produce black tomatoes and 1/4 of them will be oblong. There will be differences in size, shape, taste, determinate vs. indeterminate plant habit etc.

PACHINO

The Pachino cherry tomato, grown in Pachino in the extreme south of Sicily, Italy is famous for its taste when dried or preserved. Most Pachino tomatoes are of the Noemi F1 variety and these seeds are likely the selected F3 of this variety.

RUSSO SICILIAN (TOGETTA)

Russo Sicilian is a Sicilian tomato which is great for stuffing, sauce, and paste. It is many times written as "Di Togetta" which would mean "from Togetta" but there is no such town in Sicily. It is likely a typo of Torretta which is a town in Palermo Province.

SAN MARZANO 'SACCONE'

The San Marzano tomato, one of the best for making sauce or paste, originates from the Campania region of Southern Italy. These seeds are from the type of San Marzano commonly sold in Sicilian markets.

SICCAGNO DI VALLEDOLMO

Siccagno means that this variety is a tomato which is grown under dry cultivation with little or no additional water inputs. It is extremely drought-tolerant and the plant grows very close to the ground with no need for staking. It produces a large crop of medium oval-shaped paste tomatoes which are very good quality for use in sauces and paste. It is grown in the area around Valledolmo, Sicily, and the seeds were obtained from the village of Petralia Soprana in Palermo Province.

TOMÀTIGA DE RAMELLET

This is a traditional long-storage variety from Majorca used in the Catalonia region of Spain. It is hung in bunches and is used fresh on bread in the traditional Catalan dish 'pa amb tomàquet.'

TONDINO MAREMMANO

Tondino Maremmano is a traditional variety from the Maremma region of Tuscany in Italy. Used for drying or sauce-making. The image is of a plant producing under severe drought/water-stress conditions in Southern California.