California-Style Tomatoes

California is known for the high production of its agriculture, and, consequently, it is the largest grower of tomatoes in the United States. Despite having the largest tomato production in America, the majority of the tomatoes grown in California are made for canning. Tomatoes grown for canning are distinct from fresh-market tomatoes. Fresh-market California-style tomatoes are available in California and other western states every season except winter.

Of course, so-called tomato experts advise eating locally grown tomatoes as much as possible. In most Sun Belt states, this is often possible nearly year round. However, in colder states like Washington or Montana, California-style tomatoes may be the best option. California tomatoes are thicker than Florida tomatoes, the second top tomato-producing state in America, and ripen easily. Vine-ripened California tomatoes, including tomatoes with the vine left on, are generally the tastiest and frequently the safest. In the summer of 2008, a Salmonella scare surged through the U.S., but tomatoes grown in California were not implicated.

The classic California-style tomato is the plum tomato, and California is the largest producer of plum tomatoes in the world. When canning tomatoes, plum tomatoes are the variety of tomato most commonly used, since they produce a thicker paste. This makes them a great tomato variety to be used in homemade tomato sauce. Delicious grape and cherry tomatoes are also grown in California, and offer a sweet taste in a bite-size portion. Yellow tomatoes, on the other hand, are only cultivated in small yields in California.

California-style tomatoes are some of the tastiest tomatoes in the U.S. if locally grown tomatoes are not an option. They are also used in high selling canned products, like Hunt's tomato sauce.