Assoluto – Peeled Tomatoes

Assoluto Pomodoro Pelato by Italianavera, whole and peeled

Assoluto Pomodoro Pelato by Italianavera are whole peeled tomatoes from Campania, using their own juices in the jar as the only liquid. They are peeled by hand shortly after being harvested from the field, which is what the Italian word "pelato" signifies.

Assoluto Pomodoro Pelato is the peeled tomato in a jar from Italianavera, an heirloom variety from Campania with firm flesh and balanced acidity. When you take them out, you have a whole fruit on your spoon, leaving you to decide whether to leave them chunky or make them smooth.

Whole fruit, balanced acidity, clear flavor

Without the skin, the flesh is exposed, and the aroma upon opening the jar is reminiscent of a warm garden in August. The acidity stays in the background rather than pushing to the fore, making this variety suitable for long cooking times. The flesh falls apart while cooking without becoming watery, carrying the sauce with its own substance. When you put a spoon in, you immediately notice how little water is inside.

Eaten raw, Assoluto comes remarkably close to a ripe summer tomato, served with salt and oil on a slice of bread. In the pot, it shows a different side: after twenty minutes over a low flame, you have a sugo that tastes deeper than it looks.

Raw, braised, or puréed

For a simple sugo, Assoluto Pomodoro Pelato needs little more than olive oil, a clove of garlic, and a few basil leaves. Crushed with a fork, the sauce remains chunky; with an immersion blender, it becomes smooth in seconds. Both options are open to you because the whole fruit is there, and the texture is decided in the kitchen.

In shakshuka, caponata, or with braised vegetables, the fruit holds its shape longer than a puréed sauce. Roasted on a tray with fennel and onions, it becomes a side dish for fried fish.

It adds depth to goulash, a sweetness to risotto that pairs well with broth, and becomes a stew for cold days when paired with white beans and rosemary. Anything left over can be kept sealed in the refrigerator and used in the following days.

What peeling does for the fruit

A tomato skin does not soften during cooking; it curls up and eventually floats in the sauce like a small thread. Removing it beforehand results in a sauce with a uniform texture. That is exactly what the Italian word "pelato" means, and that is exactly what this line from Italianavera stands for.

Blanched briefly, cooled, and peeled by hand, the harvest goes into the jar on the same day. Machines would be faster, but they are harsher on the soft flesh, and only manual processing preserves the whole fruit. Italianavera bottles the tomatoes in Campania, in the same region where the variety is grown in the fields.

Supplies for an unplanned evening

Having Assoluto in the pantry is the guarantee that even on a tiring Wednesday, you can get something decent on the table. The preserve waits patiently until someone has time for it. If you need it smooth right away, reach for the Passata di Pomodoro from Italianavera.

You can see the other varieties the company bottles in the house assortment, and Italian preserves can be found right next to them on the shelf.

Content 550g – Drained weight 520g