Is There Mold in That Paste Tomato?

This picture, from Sherri Venditti, shows black mold in a nameless, open-pollinated paste-tomato variety.
This picture, from Sherri Venditti, shows black mold in the fruit of a nameless, open-pollinated paste-tomato variety.

I stopped growing modern paste tomatoes such as San Marzano a few years ago, when I began finding furry mold growing in fruits that appeared perfect on the exterior. So, while talking about preserving tomatoes to the Multnomah County Master Gardeners the other night, I asked if others had had the same experience. Indeed they had: At least three people in the audience had found mold inside their paste tomatoes.

I would guess that extended heating in a boiling-water bath would kill the mold, but I’m not sure. What I’m sure about is this: I would never recommend preserving tomatoes of this type without cutting them open first.

This year, for the first time, Sherri also found fuzzy white mold growing in one of the tomatoes.
This year, for the first time, Sherri also found fuzzy white mold growing in one of the tomatoes.