“Pizzutello” tomato

The “Pizzutello” tomato thrives in the salinity of the red, clayey soil in which it is planted, in the Ericine valleys that stretch down to the sea towards Trapani and Paceco. An agricultural product that safeguards biodiversity, the Pizzutello tomato is a Slow Food Presidium because its production has persisted thanks to the work of a few determined producers.

Known to have been grown in the area for about 80 years, this “dry” tomato (traditionally cultivated without irrigation), has adapted well to this region, becoming a hardy ecotype that – if crop rotations are maintained – is highly resistant to disease and parasites.

It is a small tomato, with a rounded or slightly elongated shape, with a characteristic “nipple” tip (“pizzo”, hence the name). The tomatoes are bright red when ripe and, as they are very sweet, they are excellent fresh, but they can also be hung up in bunches tied with string – known as “pennula” in Sicilian – or preserved as passata or chopped tomatoes.

A seasonal tomato, the “pizzutello” is sown in the fields in April and harvested from June to September.