Visit any village in either of Italy’s most southerly regions, Calabria or Puglia and, if it is August, you will find rows of tomatoes, all cut in half, outside the front door of every house. They are laid there, covered by nets to keep the flies away, to dry in the hot Italian sun, and the air in the village is permeated with their characteristic smell. This is a tradition which has lasted for centuries and it is a way to preserve part of tomato production through winter time.

It is strange that this should have been taking place for many, many generations, and yet it was only a few years ago that the rest of the world discovered how delicious these dried tomatoes are. Now the demand for them has grown enormously, but this demand is still largely met by a small number of local producers.


Sun Dried Tomatoes

Huge quantities of tomatoes come from the Mediterranean regions, yet only a small proportion of the crops are used for sun dried tomatoes. By far the majority are canned or made into sauces.

In early spring the soil is prepared using natural fertilizers. Selecting the best fields to use is extremely important. Those surrounded by olive trees are ideal, as they help to make the soil very fertile. During the second half of April selected seedlings are planted. Irrigation is needed to ensure that every plant receives enough water.

Flocks of locals, mostly women, descend on the fields and start the back- breaking work of harvesting the tomatoes, picking the bright red jewels that are hidden among the green foliage of these low-growing varieties. The best specimens are then selected for drying. They are washed, cut in half, laid out in the sun on long racks and then sprinkled with salt and covered by nets. There they are left to dry in the sun for four or five days.

It has taken 11kg of fresh tomatoes to obtain just 1Kg of dried product.

After the drying process, the tomatoes journey north to Asti where they are used as an important ingredient in Saclà’s products. An increasing number are marinated in a specially seasoned, aromatic oil to make Saclà L’Antipasto Sun-Dried Tomatoes, a delicacy so good that it is fast becoming a favourite  even with the Italians, who for so many years have painstakingly made their own sun-dried tomatoes.

Others are finely chopped to form a concentrated burnished mahogany-coloured paste, which lends a deep, rich unmistakable flavour to the Saclà range of sauces. The result is that whatever the time of the year, and no matter how inclement the weather, you can bring the real flavour of far away, sun-drenched regions right into your kitchen!