Semi-Dried Peeled Cherry Tomatoes Le Perle by Alimentis
Le Perle by Alimentis are whole Italian red cherry tomatoes, peeled and semi-dried, preserved in sunflower seed oil with a light basil note, in a 770 g food service tin (carton of 12). Slow, low-temperature processing concentrates the natural sugars of the fruit, while complete peeling removes the skin that would turn leathery on pizza or bruschetta. The result is a sweet, fleshy, ready-to-use tomato pearl for professional kitchens: no rehydration, no oven time, no waste.
What Are Semi-Dried Cherry Tomatoes?
Semi-dried cherry tomatoes sit halfway between fresh tomatoes and fully sun-dried ones. The fruit is gently dehydrated only in part, so it loses excess water and gains an intense, sweet concentration of flavour while keeping a soft, juicy bite. Unlike fully dried tomatoes they need no soaking and have none of the chewy texture; unlike fresh cherry tomatoes they release very little water in cooking, which keeps pizza bases and focaccia dry and crisp.
The Producer: Alimentis of Commessaggio, Mantua
Alimentis srl is based in Commessaggio, in the province of Mantua, Lombardy. The company specialises in Italian tomato and vegetable preserves for food service, working with 100 percent Italian tomatoes processed fresh after harvest, in respect of crop seasonality. Le Perle is its signature semi-dried cherry tomato line: gluten free, with no added glutamate, packed in an easy-open 1/1 tin designed for professional kitchens (producer code 2018E).
Organoleptic Profile
Bright red colour, whole intact fruit, soft and fleshy texture. The taste is markedly sweet, the typical character of slow-processed cherry tomatoes, balanced by gentle acidity and a light aromatic note of basil carried by the sunflower seed oil. The peeling gives a clean, melting mouthfeel with no papery skins on the palate.
Technical Specifications
Ingredients: semi-dried peeled cherry tomatoes 65 percent, sunflower seed oil, water, sugar, salt, garlic, acidity regulator lactic acid (E270). Net weight 770 g per tin, easy-open format 1/1, carton of 12 tins. Storage at ambient temperature; after opening, transfer to a non-metallic container, keep the tomatoes covered with their oil and refrigerate at 0-4 °C. No declared allergens.
Professional Uses in the Kitchen
On pizza, add the tomatoes after baking or in the final 2 minutes in the oven: prolonged exposure over 300 °C dries them out and burns the sugars. On bruschetta and crostoni, use 3-4 tomato pearls per slice over stracciatella or ricotta. In first courses, toss them whole into spaghetti or paccheri off the heat with their own oil, capers and olives for a fast Mediterranean dressing. In cold pasta salads and grain bowls they hold their shape without bleeding water. On antipasto platters, pair 60-80 g per portion with burrata, buffalo mozzarella or aged cheeses.
Pairings
Classic partners: burrata and stracciatella, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, capers, Taggiasca olives, anchovies, focaccia and semolina bread. The sweetness of the semi-dried fruit also balances salty cured meats on a tagliere and sharp aged cheeses.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not bake the tomatoes through the full pizza cycle in a 400 °C wood-fired oven: they are already semi-dried and will scorch, so add them at the end. Do not discard the seasoned oil: it is part of the recipe and excellent for dressing the same dish. Do not store the opened tin as it is: transfer the fruit to a closed non-metallic container and keep it submerged in oil.
Delivery and Logistics in Switzerland
Ambient product, no cold chain required: ideal for stock-building orders on full cartons. B2B and B2C delivery from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich), with direct distribution across Zurich, Winterthur, Bülach, Aargau, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Bern and Basel. For Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg) and mountain regions (Chur, Davos) shipping within 24-48 hours via partner couriers such as Swiss Post, Planzer and Galliker.
Who This Product Is For
Pizzerias looking for a premium topping that does not wet the base, restaurants and trattorias for antipasti and first courses, gastronomy counters and delicatessens for ready trays, caterers and hotels for buffets, and Italian grocery stores serving private customers who cook at home. One 770 g tin covers roughly 15-20 antipasto portions, making food cost easy to calculate.
