Who’s feeling lucky and is ready to win? I am excited to announce that I ❤ San Marzano DOP is hosting a competition on their website, where you can enter to win a dinner worth $250 at a local restaurant. How awesome is that? 😀
If you’ve been following me, you know that I am a big fan of tomatoes in general, and of canned tomatoes in particular (my previous posts on canned tomatoes from Europe can be found here and here). As such, I was very pleased to hear about the I ❤ San Marzano DOP contest, the latest in a series of events whose purpose is to highlight the unique features of Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP tomatoes (the full name of San Marzano tomatoes) These tomatoes are a work of delicious beauty made possible by the volcanic soil near Mt Vesuvius and the hard work of local farmers, who harvest these tomatoes by hand.
Photo credit: ILoveSanMarzanoDOP.com
Widely regarded as “the crown jewel of European canned tomatoes,” San Marzano tomatoes are not a brand but a type of tomato grown and picked exclusively for the can in the 41 towns situated within the volcanic-rich production area of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino near Naples, in the South of Italy. The area also includes the small town of San Marzano, which was picked as a name for these tomatoes.
Growing San Marzano is a labor of love, and the work of many hands and hearts. The tomatoes are sown in April and May, and are harvested between July and September. They are picked completely by hand – previous attempts to mechanize the process have proved disastrous for these delicately fleshed tomatoes.
Photo credit: ILoveSanMarzanoDOP.com
Once picked, San Marzano are immediately canned at the height of ripeness and flavor in factories located in close proximity to the harvesting fields. No salt, sugar or calcium chloride is added.
Photo credit: ILoveSanMarzanoDOP.com
During my collaboration with I ❤ San Marzano DOP I had the opportunity to tell the story of these flavor-packed tomatoes and of the small local farmers’ efforts to ensure their quality and consistency. Plus, of course, I loved to focus on the deliciousness in the kitchen – and I even fantasized of traveling to Mt Vesuvius one day! 🙂
If you are like me and you are anxiously waiting for the world to open up again, you may be dreaming of traveling too. In the meantime, you can enter the I ❤ San Marzano DOP contest to a chance to win an unforgettable dinner at a local restaurant.
- Contest is open to US residents 18+ years old.
- Deadline for entering is 11:59pm on June 18th, 2021.
- 21 winners will be randomly selected and will be notified by phone.
You can enter the contest on the I ❤ San Marzano DOP website here.
Do you use San Marzano DOP canned tomatoes in your cooking? What’s your favorite recipe? Let me know in the comments – and good luck, everyone!
Leave a Reply