Cipolla’s Pride
$2.60
- Grown, sold, and described by Bunny Hop Seeds
- Plant growth: indeterminate
- Leaf type: regular leaf
- Time to maturity: midseason
- Germination tested after Hot Water Seed Treatment
- Approx. number of seeds per pack: 15+
“Cipolla’s Pride” is a fine roma/paste-type tomato with a true family heirloom history. Emilio Cipolla came to the Brooklyn, New York, from Sicily in 1906. Based on the 1940 US Census, I believe that he was possibly accompanied by his wife Lucy and mother Mary Napoli. The census did show the family as coming from Italy; however, these records were hand-gathered and hand-written and not all census takers recorded completely accurate data. I did see that by 1940, they were farming in East Hartford, Connecticut. Emilio and Lucy had three sons and three daughters. Cipolla’s Pride, then known as “Grandpa’s Tomato,” was grown for many years on the farm. Master Gardener Larry Cipolla, great-grandson of Emilio, grew this family heirloom and continued the selection process of ensuring the best flavor and performance. I found this magazine article feature on Larry Cipolla’s gardening history that showed me clearly how the Cipolla’s Pride tomato could be such an excellent performer, especially for an heirloom: https://edinamag.com/master-gardener-larry-cipolla-shares-his-love-gardening.
The tomato itself is impressive. It seemed to adapt itself well to my hot and humid conditions, maintaining a vigorous growth habit, very good productivity, and excellent strong flavor and somewhat dry texture, which is everything we want in a sauce/paste/salad tomato. It makes a great roasted vegetable spaghetti. My first fruits were fairly large, 12 to 14oz. Later in the season, with the plant fatigued from struggling in my climate, the fruits averaged about 6 to 8oz.
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