By Gattina
Bologna,
Italy 
I am busy sowing tomato seeds - Principe Borghese, and note that on the packet it says that they can be hung from rafters after harvesting, like onions, and will remain edible for a long time "Well into the winter". I know the seed is available in the UK and wonder whether anyone else has grown them, or knows anything about this, and whether it is true or at best a mild exaggeration.
21 Apr, 2012
Answers
They are sown and in the greenhouse as we write, Pam! I thought it was my dodgy translation skills, but I am assured that this is right.
21 Apr, 2012
Catalogue Home > Tomato
TOMATO PRINCIPE BORGHESE (da Appendere or Eternal tomatoes)
Pricing
Price : £1.95
Quantity :
T1 - Pull the whole plant upside down at the end of the season and pull the tomatoes all winter. Indeterminate. Small egg shaped fruits with few seeds. Ideal for salads or for using sliced with mozzarella, basil and olive oil and for drying for winter use
Italian vine tomato. Indeterminate. Small egg shaped fruits with few seeds. Ideal for salads or for using sliced with mozzarella, basil and olive oil and for drying for winter use. Fruits are typically 80-100g each in weight. One of our clients Nino, told us that his father would grow these in Sicily and hang them green in the barn which was cool and airy, and they would last till the end of Feb. Principe Borghese is often called 'da appendere' or to hang and can keep for months. @300 seeds. Sow Feb-mid Jun. @72 days to maturity.
This is from the internet, it may be useful. Just ignore the bit at the end.
21 Apr, 2012
Fascinating! Will you let us know how you get on please Gattina......
21 Apr, 2012
Oh I shall, I shall, Pam! I shall probably bore you all to bits with my progress. Thanks, Hank. I thought I was possibly getting hold of the wrong end of the stick (or tomato plant). Incidentally, Italians tend to eat their tomatoes far greener than the Brits.. Our neighbours use a different type - San Martino, for drying, but these do look and sound similar. I am growing some British varieties just in case these don't work........
21 Apr, 2012
Never heard of this before Gattina - so please do keep us all posted. I think the challenge in the UK would be to keep cool but frost free.
21 Apr, 2012
Thick-walled stone built cellars have their uses, MG! It wouldn't have made much difference this past February though - even the cats' water froze in the dishes down in the cellars, poor things, so I doubt any tomatoes would have survived.
I only bought these because I had read that they had a superlative flavour - like an old-fashioned, acid type, and then saw the seeds in our local ironmongers' shop. Their potential keeping qualities came as a surprising bonus.
I think if I get any interesting results I shall post a blog. Watch this space!
21 Apr, 2012
Will do!
21 Apr, 2012
Previous question
Sorry Gattina, I haven,t heard of them but it sounds quite incredible! Will you give it a go?
21 Apr, 2012