It’s a true cultural wonder that the “plump fruit” (as the Aztecs used to call it) once only found in South America, is today most closely associated with a particular, boot-shaped nation that’s an ocean away. Part of the reason for this is that Italians use tomatoes in so many delicious dishes, from pasta & pizza sauces to salads & soups. Trader Joe’s Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes are not only ready to use in all those dishes and more, but they also possess the cachet that comes with being grown & packed in Italy! Each 28-ounce can is filled with juicy, deep-red, Roma tomatoes that are grown in the Puglia region of Italy (aka the ‘heel of the boot’). These particular ‘plump fruits’ are picked at peak harvest near the end of summer. The Tomatoes are then quickly delivered to Naples, where they are peeled & packed with tomato juice and Basil Leaves. And by quickly, we mean they go from harvest-to-can in just 12 hours! The colorful cans are then delivered to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s, where you can pick them up for use in the dishes your home is known for. Blend up these beauts (Basil, juice, and all) to use in your homemade pasta sauce. Drain them, halve them, and drop them in simmering chicken soup, or scatter them atop TJ’s Pizza Dough with Fresh Mozzarella Pearls and Organic Basil. You’ll find colorful cans of Trader Joe’s Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes with Basil Leaf on our shelves, every day.