Dried Tomatoes in Brine

Tomatoes grown in the dry-drying regime — without irrigation — at 65%, in a simple brine of water, sea salt and lemon juice

The farmer's tomato with the concentrated flavour of the dry tradition of Southern Italy: zero water, zero preservatives, maximum identity

Siccano Tomatoes in Brine from the Co.r.ag.gio Agricultural Cooperative

Il Dried Tomatoes in Brine of the Agricultural Cooperative Co.r.ag.gio of Borghetto San Carlo (Rome, Via Cassia 1420, in Veio Park) it's a'agronomic excellence brought to contemporary tables by young farmers of the Roman Cooperative. The term “they dry up” (from Latin siccus = dry, dry) indicates a traditional cultivation technique of the highest quality: the tomato grown under the siccagno regime, namely completely without artificial irrigation, relying exclusively on rainwater and underground water reserves. An agronomic practice that has roots in Mediterranean peasant tradition of Southern Italy — Sicily, Puglia, Calabria, Basilicata — where the summer water scarcity For centuries, farmers have been trained to develop varieties and techniques capable of producing generous fruit even without irrigation water. The result is a radically different tomato from those obtained with intensive irrigated crops: least, sweeter, more aromatic, more concentrated in sugars, polyphenols and lycopene — because the plants, forced to "work" harder to produce the fruit, develop deep root systems and concentrate all the nutrients and the most noble aromatic substances in the pulp. The composition of the product is of a exemplary purity: 65% dried tomatoes (a very high percentage compared to industrial pickled tomatoes, which often stop at 50%), water, sea ​​salt wholemeal (not refined industrial salt) and lemon juice including natural acidifier replacing the municipalities chemical acidifiers (industrial citric acid E330, disodium EDTA). A valuable technical choice that characterizes the entire Coraggio line of canned products.
 
 
 

Siccagno Tomatoes: Southern Rural Tradition and Climate Future Food

Il tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is originally from the Peruvian Andes and territories of present-day Mexico, where the Mayan and Aztec civilizations cultivated and consumed it for millennia under the name of “xitomatl” in Nahuatl (“fruit of the swollen navel”). It arrived in Europe with the Spanish conquest of Mexico since 1521, but for more two centuries it was considered an exclusively ornamental plant, even suspected of toxicity due to its belonging to the Solanaceae (same family as belladonna and mandrake). It was Naples, in the second half of the 18th century, that first welcomed the tomato into Italian cuisine - marking the beginning of that gastronomic revolution which would transform Mediterranean cuisine forever, leading to the birth of pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, Neapolitan ragù and a thousand other delicacies. siccagno technique (“dry”, without irrigation) is a traditional agronomic practice that the farmer of Southern Italy has developed over the centuries to face the structural water scarcity of their territories: in Puglia, in Sicily, in Calabria, in Basilicata, where the summer water was and is a rare and precious resource, the tomato varieties dry out (Manduria cherry tomatoes Slow Food Presidium in Salento, Pachino siccagno Sicilian, Marinda Sicilian semi-dry, Lampia of Salento) have established themselves as symbol of an agriculture adapted to the territory, capable of producing generous fruits with minimal water impact. Slow Food Movement e Carlo Petrini have had the merit, in recent decades, of bringing back to light these traditional techniques at risk of extinction due to agro-industrial standardisation - promoting them as a model of Climate “Future Food”: an agricultural practice that, in a world marked by water crisis and come on climate changes, represents one of most promising models of sustainable agricultureThe Coraggio Cooperative fits into this cultural trajectory by recovering the Siccano tomato and bringing it to contemporary tables as symbol of a new agri-food awareness.
 
 
 

Choosing Siccano Tomatoes means choosing concentrated lycopene and water sustainability

The Siccano Tomato in Brine from the Coraggio Cooperative offers a particularly favorable nutritional profile, enhanced by the concentration of active substances typical of the dry cultivation technique. The most important nutritional characteristic is the rich in LYCOPENE — the famous antioxidant carotenoid responsible for the intense red color of tomatoes. Lycopene is today considered one of the most powerful natural antioxidants known, with recognized beneficial effects on cardiovascular health (reduction of oxidized LDL cholesterol), on protection from free radicals, on the prostate health (effects documented by numerous epidemiological studies) and on skin protection from UV damage. Key feature: unlike many other plant antioxidants (vitamin C, polyphenols), lycopene is soluble e more bioavailable after cooking or processing —that is, it turns out more assimilable by the human body in preserved, processed or cooked tomatoes compared to fresh tomatoes: pickled tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, dried tomatoes are therefore privileged sources of lycopeneThe dried tomato, thanks to the natural concentration induced by the lack of irrigation water, it contains significantly more compared to intensively grown tomatoes. It also provides Vitamin C, Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin K, Potassium (useful for blood pressure), folic acid (B9, important in pregnancy), dietary fibers e antioxidant polyphenolsThe caloric intake is content (about 25-30 kcal per 100 g), making the tomato dry in brine ideal for light, Mediterranean and balanced diets. From one point of view Environmental Sustainability, the Siccagno cultivation technique represents a significant contribution to water sustainability: productions that require zero irrigation water compared to the tens of litres of water per kilogram of tomato in intensive cultivation - a very significant figure in an era marked by climate crisis. Vegan, gluten free, lactose-free, no known food allergens.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Dried Tomatoes in Brine

1. BRUSCHETTA, MEDITERRANEAN APPETIZERS AND SIGNATURE APERITIFS
   The most used immediate and noble of the Siccano Tomato in Brine is the classic Italian bruschetta revisited in a gourmet key: lightly toasted wholemeal homemade bread + drained and halved Siccano tomatoes + Fresh basil + a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil + freshly ground salt and pepper = the quintessential Mediterranean appetizer. Splendid for the classic contemporary Caprese: Lazio buffalo burrata in the center of the plate + whole dried tomatoes in a crown + basil leaves + EVO + a few coarse salt crystals. Exceptional for refined canapés: ancient grain bread + a layer of Organic Basil Pesto + Dried Tomatoes + some Salina caper. For a Sicilian appetizerDried tomatoes + green olives + pecorino cheese flakes + Organic dried oregano + EVO. Splendid as signature finger food: small skewers with dried tomatoes + mozzarella + basil, alternating. For a gourmet appetizerDried tomatoes + olives + breadsticks + a glass of chilled white wine.
2. SALADS, COLD PASTA AND QUICK SUMMER DISHES
   Dried Tomatoes in Brine are perfect protagonists with cold salads and quick summer dishes thanks to their already concentrated and ready-to-use flavor. For a classic contemporary Mediterranean salad: Drained Siccani tomatoes + diced cucumbers + Tropea red onion + black olives + fresh feta or pecorino + basil + EVO + a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Splendid in signature cold pasta: wholemeal short pasta (preferably Sedani Rigati Senatore Cappelli o Organic Tortiglioni) cooked al dente, cooled, seasoned with dried tomatoes + diced mozzarella + basil + EVO + salt + pepper = the classic summer dish of the highest quality. Exceptional in gourmet salads: rocket + dried tomatoes + pecorino flakes + chopped walnuts + lemon and EVO vinaigrette. For the revisited Tuscan panzanella: wet stale bread + dried tomatoes + cucumber + red onion + basil + EVO + salt. Splendid in cold Mediterranean couscous, in farro/pearl barley salads to cereals, in Buddha bowl contemporary with mixed vegetables + whole grains + Dried Tomatoes as an element of concentrated color and flavor.
3. QUICK SAUCES, GOURMET BRUSCHETTONI AND SIGNATURE DRESSINGS
   The Siccani Tomatoes in Brine become ingredient of excellence for quick sauces of the highest quality e gourmet condiments. For one “spaghetti with dried tomatoes” express: heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan + garlic clove + drained and roughly crushed Siccani tomatoes with a fork (leaving them in pieces) + hand-torn basil + salt; when the pasta is almost cooked, stir directly into the pan with a ladle of cooking water = sauce ready in 10 minutes, very tasty, with a very high yield of absorbable lycopene. Excellent for gourmet bruschettoni: toasted homemade bread + Dried tomatoes + mozzarella + basil + quick baking in the oven at 200°C for 2-3 minutes to obtain a pizza-like “bruschettone”. Exceptional in stuffed focaccias with stracchino and dried tomatoes. For the gourmet omelette: beaten eggs + dried tomatoes + basil + grated pecorino cheese, cooked in a pan or in the oven. Delicious as gourmet seasoning: cut into julienne strips over grilled meat or fish, over baked fish fillets, or over lemon-flavored veal escalopes. For the quick lunch: bagel or focaccia + Dried Tomatoes + a drizzle of cream cheese + arugula + oil = a top-quality gourmet sandwich.

The Producer: Agricultural Cooperative Co.r.ag.gio

Agricultural Cooperative Co.r.ag.gio it is the cooperative of young Roman farmers which manages from May 2015 i 22 hectares of Borghetto San Carlo on Via Cassia 1420 in Rome, in Veio ParkThe name is an acronym for “Roman Youth Agriculture Cooperative” and tells a story of civic dispute won thanks to the 10.000 signature petition on Change.org, which was internationally awarded by Vandana Shiva Real Food Heroes 2013The agricultural activities of the Cooperative include: seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes), cereals, legumes, a biodiversity orchard (50+ varieties), a multi-varietal olive grove and an apiary for the production of organic honey. The Pomodoro Siccano proposal is part of the multifunctional gastronomic vocation of the Cooperative: bring to Rome traditional agronomic techniques recovered, autochthonous varieties and products that demonstrate a model of sustainable agriculture for the climate future — in line with the “Future Food” philosophy of the international Slow Food movement.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Dried tomatoes 65%, water, sea salt, lemon juice.

Ingredients from Italian agriculture. Contains no food allergensNo industrial citric acid (E330). No disodium EDTA. No added preservatives. No thickeners. No colorings. No artificial flavors. No chemical acidity regulators. Whole sea salt (not refined industrial salt). Natural acidifier: lemon juice (replaces the industrial acidifiers commonly used for preserved tomatoes).
 
 
 

Food container

Store in cool and dry place, away from heat sources and direct light, until the expiry date shown on the package. Once opened the jar, it is advisable Transfer the Dried Tomatoes with their preserving liquid into a glass container with lid and store them in refrigerator (4-6°C), consuming them within 5 7-days. Before use for gastronomic preparations, it is advisable drain them briefly using a fine mesh strainer to remove the preserving liquid (salt water + lemon juice) which has served as a preservative: this step improves the versatility of the product's use in the kitchen, especially for preparations where the salinity of the preserving liquid would not be desired. signature gastronomic experiences, it's possible cut them in half or use them whole depending on the preparation. governing liquid of Dried Tomatoes can be recovered and used as soup broth, to flavor couscous or for other preparations where a savory tomato broth would be appreciated — a small culinary gesture anti-waste, perfectly in line with the philosophy of the Coraggio Cooperative.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(indicative average values ​​per 100g of drained product)

• Energy: approximately 115 kJ / 28 kcal
• Fat: approximately 0,3 g (of which saturated fatty acids: approximately 0,1 g)
• Carbohydrates: approximately 5 g (of which sugars: approximately 4 g)
• Fiber: approximately 1,5 g
• Protein: approximately 1 g
• Salt: approximately 1,5 g

Nutritional values ​​are indicative and estimated based on the average values ​​of tomatoes preserved in dried brine. The salt content is significant due to the nature of the preserving brine; it is recommended to drain dried tomatoes before eating to reduce their saltiness. Since this product is made from open-field agricultural raw materials, slight variations in nutritional values ​​are possible due to the seasonality of the harvest.
 
 
 

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