Learn the basics of choosing and growing sauce tomatoes…

Hi! I'm Nikki Jabbour, and today I want to talk about growing tomatoes for making tomato sauce.

Sauce tomatoes may be called paste, plum, Roma, or processing tomatoes.

Let's learn more about growing tomatoes for sauce.

First, it's important to pick the right variety for your garden.

Some sauce tomatoes are borne on indeterminate plants that grow 6 to 7 feet tall, and others on compact, determinate plants.

'Pozzano' is one of my go-to sauce tomatoes, and I plant it in both my greenhouse and garden beds. The vigorous plants are early to crop and resistant to blossom end rot — and they're incredibly productive.

'San Marzano II' is another standout variety that is a classic sauce tomato.

Both of these varieties are indeterminate.

For more compact plants, look to [determinate] varieties like 'Paisano', 'Sunrise Sauce', and 'Plum Regal'.

Like all tomatoes, sauce tomatoes need full sun — at least 8 to 10 hours of direct light every day — plus well-draining, fertile soil and a consistent supply of water.

Once the tomatoes are fully ripe, I blanch them in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes to loosen the skins, and then prep them for sauce-making.

You can make a roasted tomato sauce in the oven, or in a saucepan on the stove.

Either way, expect a rich, flavorful sauce, perfect for pasta.

Happy Growing!