Recently, I walked through my local supermarket’s fresh produce section. Generally speaking, I prefer to purchase fresh produce from the market, or the little Italian greengrocer up the road. I have to admit, some of the fresh fruit and veg on display looked and smelled good, and there seems to be a greater range of produce available. Its great to see that the variety of tomatoes presented to consumers is expanding…..but unfortunately, I have to be pretty desperate to even consider buying supermarket tomatoes. Why??

The first photo is what you generally find at your local supermarket. Perfectly shaped and coloured tomatoes. The second is what you pick from your backyard, uneven coloured, funny shaped tomatoes.

What some consumers are unaware of is that supermarket tomatoes are grown for their looks and transportability. Many of the varieties selected for cultivation are grown because they have the ability to arrive on supermarket shelves looking great. Taste does not rate a mention in  the Big Supermarket’s selection process.

Supermarket tomatoes are picked green, long before the flavours in the fruit are developed. They are then exposed to ethylene gas to promote ripening. It’s no wonder so many people  don’t like tomatoes! On the other hand, if you are able to get your hands on home grown tomatoes, or see some unevenly coloured tomatoes at the market, be sure to snap them up. You won’t be disappointed.