The name given to what some call Gilbertie's Paste is really Gilbert Italian Plum as it was named by the person who is the originator of this variety and is from PA.

Let me just quote a few of the comments made in the SSE YEarbook about this variety from the orinator:

85-110 days, and to me that means a late season for sure
Indet, RL

" great dried, fruit slow to ripen, and HAS A NASTY TENDENCY TO FALL OFF IF BUMPED,

......and then goes on to say that the seed came from a gentleman whose family (Gilberts) have grown it since it came over from Italy with them late in the last century.

I haven't grown it but those who have, as listing it in the SSE Yearbooks seem to like it for sauce.

The history given is one that so many sauce/paste varieties have as coming with families when they immigrated to the US from about the late 1800's to maybe about the early 1920's.

Some of them are not all that good for fresh eating and some are. Yes, I have grown a lot of them but when I was still making sauce I didn't use just paste varieties, I used what tastes best b'c most paste varieties aren't known for great taste. Just cook the sauce down a bit more.

Amish Paste was named a paste but it's far too juicy/seedy to be a paste. Many times a variety was named because of the shape it had, not b'c it had dense meaty flesh with few seeds. Another example is Lillian's Red Kansas Paste which isn't a paste either.

These days if I were going to grow a paste here's a few I like, and do so b'c they also taste good and can be eaten fresh as well. Not that you asked, but I'm on a roll here so..... LOL

Heidi
Mama Leone
Opalka
Sarnowski Polish Plum

....can't remember the others right now, luckily for you,LOL, but I've grown all the Costolutos and various strains of San Marzanos out there and don't think they match up to many others as regards taste. Just my opinion, of course, b'c what I always want is great taste, whether for sauce or fresh eating.

Just for the heck of it here's a list if varieties that originated in Italy from Tania's Tomato data base and it reminded to note another great one for fresh eating and sauce, and that's Tony's Italian.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Category:Italian_Tomatoes

I could put up such lists from her webpage for sauce/paste varieties from other countries that have tomato based cuisines, and the Sarnowski Polish Plum I mentioned about is but one example.

Hope that helps.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Gilbert Italian Plum

Carolyn,

Many thanks! That it great information. I was wondering if it was the same as the gilbert italian plum. I like the size, but it seems that it's not just the lousy summer that has caused them to take forever to ripen, and to fall off prematurely. I'll add your suggestions to my list for next year and skip the gilbertie.
I do not eat raw tomatoes. I know, I know, that is not a good thing to mention on this forum, but despite trying them many times, I just don't like them. That being said, I love cooked tomatoes, so I grow exclusively to cook and add one or 2 plant of good eating tomatoes to give to friends and neighbors.
Michele

Michele

How has your search for a good sauce/paste tomato progressed? I also grow for sauce and crushed tomatoes - I can't eat them raw either.

I'd be interested I knowing the results of your growing efforts you've grown in the intervening time.

Laurie