Will the real Costoluto Genovese please stand up!

Fusion_power · November 20, 2012

I grew Costoluto Genovese in 2012 from seed supplied by Brokenbar who stated that these tomatoes came right straight out of a market in Italy. The fruits were significantly different from most of the pictures I have seen including all of the photos at Tatiana's. I don't have a pic of the fruits, my camera was out of commission at the time, but here is a good description.

The plants were heavily productive. I recall picking a 5 gallon bucket of ripe fruit from 3 plants and doing it again 5 days later. The fruits were very flattened and slightly elongated with serious fluting on all sides and averaged about 4 inches wide by 5 inches long by 1.25 inches thick. Seed locules were only on the outside edge of the fruits. The fruits were relatively dense and meaty with intense tomato flavor and not as sweet as most. They had very bright red color when fully mature and would hold on the vine 3 or 4 days which is longer than most heirloom varieties. The skin was relatively thick, not like typical modern hybrids, but a bit thicker than many heirlooms I grow. Please take a look at the pics on tbase and see what you think keeping in mind that the tomatoes I grew were very different.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Costoluto_Genovese

DarJones

Sun City Linda · November 20, 2012

I got some of that seed from Brokenbar too but have not grown it yet. I do remember her saying her seed produced different than a lot of CG out there and not as good (sweet) for fresh eating as for sauce. It sounded like a tomato I would like for fresh eating!

Father'sDaughter · November 20, 2012

I grew Brokenbar's Costoluto Genovese seeds this year and got tomatoes much like what you described.

They actually looked very similar to Russo Sicilian Togeta which I also grew from Mary's seeds. While the fruits looked similar, the plants behaved differently with RST putting on more fruit much earlier and I had my first ripe RST almost two weeks before the first ripe CG.

I too remember her comment about her CG tomatoes being different, but I've never grown them before so I can't say how mine compared to the "typical" CG. Regardless, they were great for sauce and drying and will be back in my garden next year.

TomNJ · November 20, 2012

Dar, your description is an exact match for Costoluto Genovese I grew this year, seed also from Brokenbar, except mine were essentially round rather than elongated. I also did not take any pictures, but I would say mine looked very much like the ones in these two links:

http://www.paseseeds.com/servlet/the...-tomato/Detail

http://www.ufseeds.com/Costoluto-Gen...FQyk4AodkiYApQ

TomNJ

Father'sDaughter · November 20, 2012

Mine looked like the ones in the links posted by Tom.

ScottinAtlanta · November 20, 2012

I bought seeds of this variety in Rome, Italy last year, and mine looked like Tom's pics, too.

Fusion_power · November 20, 2012

Quote:

http://www.paseseeds.com/servlet/the...-tomato/Detail

The above pic looks very much like the tomatoes I grew.

DarJones

casino · November 20, 2012

Mine look like toms pictures.

Farmette · November 20, 2012

Dar:
Mine looked just like those in the link you posted and I got them from Brokenbar also.

bower · November 20, 2012

Tom's pics are like the Costuloto pictured at Solana Seeds, too.

Your description, Dar, with seed locules only on the outer edge in the 'ruffles', is exactly like the tomato shown sliced below, a RL (not wispy) plant that came from a packet of Anna Russian seed from Solana.

I looked through the Solana seed offerings to identify a probable parent for an unintentional cross, and picked Costuloto Genovese as the obvious one, but it could be just a stray seed, it is so much like CG, afaict.

http://solanaseeds.netfirms.com/TomatoesA-C.html

Barbee · November 20, 2012

I grew CG several years ago. Seeds NOT from brokenbar but from a seed company. Mine looked like Tom's and casino's.
Here's my journal entry:
very deeply fluted and flat orange red. dry catsup taste. few seeds. for saucing.

Heritage · November 20, 2012

My Costoloto Geneovese were very ribbed and flattened, locules as Dar described, fruit 3.5"-4" wide, and deep red. Fantastic production and set well in the heat. I let my plants sprawl so had a lot of sunburned fruit.

I don't have my photos posted to the TBase yet but will add them:
http://heritagetomatoseed.com/heirlo...luto-genovese/

My Seed source was Tatiana - her growout of CV Thompson & Morgan (orig from Vita Sementi) 08.

I've seen a huge difference in the "ribbing" of some varieties, seemingly depending on the weather, but not enough to account for the difference in C.C. photos at the TBase.

Steve

bower · November 20, 2012

I must say that, in spite of the limited locules, I was amazed at the number of seed in them - more than I've ever seen from a single fruit before.

I would describe the taste as a rich, classic tomato taste, not especially acidic nor sweet either. Certainly no sweetness to suggest the parent Anna Russian, so probably just a stray CG seed, unless sweetness is recessive.

clkeiper · November 20, 2012

What is the difference between "costoluto geneovese" and "costoluto fiorintino"?

remy · November 22, 2012

My Costoluto Genovese are very fluted. Seeds DID come from Italy. The ones on Tatiana's do not look correct to me. The do look more like Costoluto Fiorentino which is a much smoother tomato on comparison to Genovese.
If you scroll down to it on my page, you can see the three shots including one of them in the green stage.
http://www.sampleseeds.com/?page_id=65
Remy

November 20, 2012	#1
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Will the real Costoluto Genovese please stand up! I grew Costoluto Genovese in 2012 from seed supplied by Brokenbar who stated that these tomatoes came right straight out of a market in Italy. The fruits were significantly different from most of the pictures I have seen including all of the photos at Tatiana's. I don't have a pic of the fruits, my camera was out of commission at the time, but here is a good description. The plants were heavily productive. I recall picking a 5 gallon bucket of ripe fruit from 3 plants and doing it again 5 days later. The fruits were very flattened and slightly elongated with serious fluting on all sides and averaged about 4 inches wide by 5 inches long by 1.25 inches thick. Seed locules were only on the outside edge of the fruits. The fruits were relatively dense and meaty with intense tomato flavor and not as sweet as most. They had very bright red color when fully mature and would hold on the vine 3 or 4 days which is longer than most heirloom varieties. The skin was relatively thick, not like typical modern hybrids, but a bit thicker than many heirlooms I grow. Please take a look at the pics on tbase and see what you think keeping in mind that the tomatoes I grew were very different. http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Costoluto_Genovese DarJones

November 20, 2012	#11
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	I grew CG several years ago. Seeds NOT from brokenbar but from a seed company. Mine looked like Tom's and casino's. Here's my journal entry: very deeply fluted and flat orange red. dry catsup taste. few seeds. for saucing. __________________ *Barbee*

November 20, 2012	#14
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	What is the difference between "costoluto geneovese" and "costoluto fiorintino"? __________________ carolyn k

November 22, 2012	#15
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	My Costoluto Genovese are very fluted. Seeds DID come from Italy. The ones on Tatiana's do not look correct to me. The do look more like Costoluto Fiorentino which is a much smoother tomato on comparison to Genovese. If you scroll down to it on my page, you can see the three shots including one of them in the green stage. http://www.sampleseeds.com/?page_id=65 Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

November 20, 2012	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I got some of that seed from Brokenbar too but have not grown it yet. I do remember her saying her seed produced different than a lot of CG out there and not as good (sweet) for fresh eating as for sauce. It sounded like a tomato I would like for fresh eating!

November 20, 2012	#3
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I grew Brokenbar's Costoluto Genovese seeds this year and got tomatoes much like what you described. They actually looked very similar to Russo Sicilian Togeta which I also grew from Mary's seeds. While the fruits looked similar, the plants behaved differently with RST putting on more fruit much earlier and I had my first ripe RST almost two weeks before the first ripe CG. I too remember her comment about her CG tomatoes being different, but I've never grown them before so I can't say how mine compared to the "typical" CG. Regardless, they were great for sauce and drying and will be back in my garden next year.

November 20, 2012	#4
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	Dar, your description is an exact match for Costoluto Genovese I grew this year, seed also from Brokenbar, except mine were essentially round rather than elongated. I also did not take any pictures, but I would say mine looked very much like the ones in these two links: http://www.paseseeds.com/servlet/the...-tomato/Detail http://www.ufseeds.com/Costoluto-Gen...FQyk4AodkiYApQ TomNJ

November 20, 2012	#6
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I bought seeds of this variety in Rome, Italy last year, and mine looked like Tom's pics, too.

November 20, 2012	#9
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	Dar: Mine looked just like those in the link you posted and I got them from Brokenbar also.

November 20, 2012	#12
Heritage Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,255	My Costoloto Geneovese were very ribbed and flattened, locules as Dar described, fruit 3.5"-4" wide, and deep red. Fantastic production and set well in the heat. I let my plants sprawl so had a lot of sunburned fruit. I don't have my photos posted to the TBase yet but will add them: http://heritagetomatoseed.com/heirlo...luto-genovese/ My Seed source was Tatiana - her growout of CV Thompson & Morgan (orig from Vita Sementi) 08. I've seen a huge difference in the "ribbing" of some varieties, seemingly depending on the weather, but not enough to account for the difference in C.C. photos at the TBase. Steve

November 20, 2012	#13
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I must say that, in spite of the limited locules, I was amazed at the number of seed in them - more than I've ever seen from a single fruit before. I would describe the taste as a rich, classic tomato taste, not especially acidic nor sweet either. Certainly no sweetness to suggest the parent Anna Russian, so probably just a stray CG seed, unless sweetness is recessive.