How Dry Farming Makes the Most Flavorful Tomatoes You’ve Ever Tasted

How do the farmers who grow our fan-favorite Corbarino tomatoes get the juiciest, most flavorful tomatoes Giada has ever tasted? They keep things dry! Though it might seem impossible, not watering their crops is the secret to their incredible success. 

On the slopes of the Lattari mountains near Vesuvius in southern Italy, these farmers use a technique called dry farming to grow their tomatoes. They don’t use any irrigation techniques, relying on the natural rain cycles to provide all the water they get (spoiler alert: it’s not much!). In combination with other traditional techniques, like growing in terraces on the hillside to maximize sun exposure and elevating the fruit with wooden stakes to make it easier to harvest by hand, dry farming keeps these growers connected to the land in a quintessentially Italian way. 

Italians have long been champions of eating locally, long before it became a popular trend. Across the country, food lovers know the best lemons grow in Sorrento, pistachios in Sicily, truffles in Alba, and so much more. The geography and history of a place come together to create the perfect conditions for deliciousness—and Corbara is just the place for these extra special tomatoes. 

Dry farming uses fewer resources than conventional agriculture, making it much more sustainable and eco-friendly. It also allows the natural character of land to shine through in the finished product. In Corbara, the tomatoes grow in mineral-rich volcanic soil and are kissed by sea breezes from the nearby Amalfi Coast. As they ripen in the hot sun, they develop a perfectly balanced flavor profile, at once salty, tangy, and deeply sweet. That’s what makes them Giada’s top pick for simmered sauces, and why they can’t be found anywhere else.  

As seasonal cycles become more unpredictable, dry farming is a resilient method that’s both future-focused and incredibly historic. For thousands of years, traditional peoples all over the world have used dry farming techniques to grow their food. They worked in harmony with the land, learning ways to make the most of rainfall and nurturing crops that thrived in their specific home. By paying close attention to their land and learning how to work with its natural cycles, these farmers in southern Italy are connecting with age-old wisdom. 

Luckily for us, they’ve also perfected the art of preserving their bounty so it can be enjoyed year-round! After harvesting the tomatoes at their ripe peak by hand, our partners in Corbara preserve them in pure tomato juice at low temperatures. Opening a can of these exquisite tomatoes is like stepping into the bright Campanian sunshine. These bold farmers have chosen quality over quantity and committed themselves to work harder just for the opportunity to share a piece of their home with tomato lovers around the world.  

The result? Intensely flavorful tomatoes that may be less abundant than others, but are infinitely more precious. We’re grateful we get to share them with you!