Tomato Fillets in Their Own Juice

Italianavera Tomato Fillets in their own juice, hand-cut

Italianavera tomato fillets in their own juice are peeled fillets, hand-cut from ripe fruit and sourced from several growing regions in Campania, packed in their own juice rather than brine. They remain as visible pieces in the pan, and the savory juice is added right along with them.

The tomato fillets in their own juice by Italianavera, known in Italian as Filetti di Pomodoro Pelato, are peeled fillets from San Marzano, the Monti Lattari, and the Piana del Sele. The juice they are packed in goes straight into the pot when cooking.

Chunky instead of smooth

Harvested and cut by hand, the fillet remains recognizable as a piece during cooking, where pureed products would have long since smoothed out. For a caponata or a braised dish, this is exactly what makes the difference.

Their own juice carries aroma that neutral brine cannot provide and thickens the sauce on its own while reducing. If you drain them, save the juice for soup or vinaigrette.

Because the skin was removed before filling, you skip the step at the stove that usually takes the most time. Add them with their juice to a hot pan and you have a ready base in ten minutes.

The pieces are large enough to be noticeable on the plate, yet small enough to be picked up with a fork. If you prefer them finer, press them with the back of a spoon in the pot instead of reaching for an immersion blender.

For sugo, risotto, and shakshuka

The fillets are just as suitable for pasta sugo, a quick soup, or as a base for a risotto as they are for shakshuka, caponata, or Provencal-style braised vegetables. They remain visible in the sauce for goulash or roulades.

As a filling for cannelloni or between the layers of a lasagna, they hold their shape instead of dissolving into the dough. Served cold and drained, they can be topped with olive oil and basil on bread just like fresh produce.

Placed on a tray with onion rings and rosemary under fish, they make a complete side dish in half an hour. Keep leftovers in a sealed screw-top jar in the refrigerator and consume within two to three days.

The unpeeled version in a jar is the Pomodoré tomato fillets from Italianavera, a ready-made sauce is the Tomato Basil Sauce. You can find more from the south of Italy under Pasta, Risotto, and Sugo.

Three growing regions in one can

San Marzano provides the firm, low-seed flesh, the Monti Lattari the robust spiciness of the hillside locations, and the Piana del Sele the sweetness of the irrigated plains. Together, this creates a blend that none of the three regions could achieve on its own.

Before cutting, the fruits are briefly blanched, after which the skin comes off in one go. The fillets therefore vary in size depending on how the individual fruit grew.

The harvest in Campania runs from July to September, first in the plains, then on the slopes. Because the regions follow one another chronologically, the manufacturer bottles fresh produce daily over several weeks.

This preserve does not require brine because the natural juice completely covers the pieces and serves as an ingredient itself. Italianavera fills both in a single step, immediately after cutting.

Contents 400g – Drained weight 260g