Hanging tomatoes: from toast in Spain to a question for our garden

A reader in Spain introduced us to penjar tomatoes: how they are stored, what makes them different and what growing them can teach us.

Tomatoes preserved hanging in a string

“Nati, do you know these tomatoes?”

A reader in Spain sent us a video while she was making toast rubbed with tomato. She told us about “de penjar” tomatoes: they are stored hanging in strings, like garlic, and used over several months.

We had never come across them. Questions immediately followed: what makes them special? Can you do this with any tomato? Can you get seeds to grow them?

What “de penjar” means

In Catalan and Valencian, penjar means to hang. The name describes the traditional way of storing these tomatoes after harvesting.

You will also find names such as hanging tomato, storage tomato and ramellet or ramallet. They are related, but do not necessarily identify the same variety: there are different local selections, particularly associated with Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

Why they can last so long

String does not turn an ordinary tomato into a storage tomato. Generations of farmers have preserved and selected these varieties for characteristics that extend the fruit’s life after harvest.

Ripening, water loss and the properties of the outer covering all play a role. Growing and storage conditions matter too. It is not simply a question of having thicker skin.

Research on penjar tomatoes documents storage periods of more than four months. During that time, the tomato changes: it does not stay identical to a freshly picked fruit, and its flavor evolves too.

A pantry that hangs

The strings are not always clusters that grew together on the plant. One traditional technique involves sewing the peduncles, the little stalks, onto a main cord. There are also ways of keeping them on supports that allow ventilation.

The idea was to have tomatoes beyond summer, when they could no longer be harvested in the same way. At Mas dels Fumeros, the company shown in the photo we received, hand-sewing is still described as part of that family craft.

Much more than a curiosity

For the communities that grow them, these tomatoes bring together seeds, work and culinary traditions.

In Alcalà de Xivert, Castellón, the producers’ association explains how cultivation became important in the postwar period and developed into a commercial activity. The association was formed in 2007 and received the CV Quality Mark in 2008. That recognition applies to a particular production, not to all hanging tomatoes.

In the kitchen, they have an especially cherished place: Catalan pa amb tomàquet and Mallorcan pa amb oli. Cutting the tomato and rubbing it onto bread makes use of its pulp and juice. They are also used for cooking.

Can we grow them in our garden?

We found seeds sold as Mallorquín storage tomato and Ramallet hanging tomato in seed catalogs. You can explore an option among the recommendations at the end of this article.

To grow them, start by choosing an identified variety and adapting the calendar to your area. These tomatoes grow during the warm season. Calling them storage or winter tomatoes refers to their later use, not to sowing them in the middle of cold weather.

Adapting their care means observing how the plant responds to our soil and climate, and how its fruits keep in the space available. Mediterranean experience offers guidance, but does not replace that observation.

Will my round cherry tomato work?

That was our question too. Some look remarkably similar, but shape and color cannot tell us whether a tomato has long-storage ability.

If we want to try this tradition, it is best to start with seeds identified for that purpose and record harvesting and storage. That way, we can share our own experience as well as learning from people who have been doing this for generations.

Do you know these tomatoes? Do you grow them? Where in the world are you? We would love to know your area and how they worked for you.

And if you have a question about your tomatoes, tell us. Your question could be the beginning of a new investigation at Qué Plantar.

To keep going with your garden

If you want to save your own seeds, continue with How to save tomato seeds for next season.

And if you are just starting out, we can help with Start your home vegetable garden: light, soil and easy plants.

Seeds and materials to get started

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