Do you get good flavor out of your tomatoes?

[dmontgomery]

It has been awhile since I have tried to grow my own, but I recently was reading on how home grown produce can taste so much better simply because store bought produce is bread for heartiness, not flavor.

Do you taste a big difference in your home grown tomatoes?

 

[bminiman]

It has been awhile since I have tried to grow my own, but I recently was reading on how home grown produce can taste so much better simply because store bought produce is bread for heartiness, not flavor.

Do you taste a big difference in your home grown tomatoes?

Ok, here's the key. The tomatoes you buy from the grocery store are harvested before they are fully ripe. This is because they ripen on the truck on the way to your market. The problem with tomatoes harvested this way is that they lack the full sugar and flavor that can develop when tomatoes are vine-ripened until they are fully ripe. If commercial growers picked tomatoes when they were ripe, by the time they got to you they'd be rotten since usually tomatoes come from Mexico and so it takes weeks to transport them.

The home gardener can wait until the last minute when the tomato is fully ripe and at full flavor since they are consuming it within days of harvesting, not weeks like in the above scenario.

Protip: grow heirlooms, which are unmodified "classic" tomatoes with very complex flavors. My favorite heirlooms are Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Amazing flavor, especially if you're letting them ripen fully on the vine. You know it's fully ripe when there is no green color left, and when the tomato itself is slightly squishy when you squeeze it.

Any other tomato questions?!

 

[bitpushr]

Ok, here's the key. The tomatoes you buy from the grocery store are harvested before they are fully ripe. This is because they ripen on the truck on the way to your market. The problem with tomatoes harvested this way is that they lack the full sugar and flavor that can develop when tomatoes are vine-ripened until they are fully ripe. If commercial growers picked tomatoes when they were ripe, by the time they got to you they'd be rotten since usually tomatoes come from Mexico and so it takes weeks to transport them.

The home gardener can wait until the last minute when the tomato is fully ripe and at full flavor since they are consuming it within days of harvesting, not weeks like in the above scenario.

Protip: grow heirlooms, which are unmodified "classic" tomatoes with very complex flavors. My favorite heirlooms are Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Amazing flavor, especially if you're letting them ripen fully on the vine. You know it's fully ripe when there is no green color left, and when the tomato itself is slightly squishy when you squeeze it.

Any other tomato questions?!

Great response! What are some other varieties other than Heirloom that you would recommend? Also, does this advice apply to peppers?

 

[dmontgomery]

Ok, here's the key. The tomatoes you buy from the grocery store are harvested before they are fully ripe. This is because they ripen on the truck on the way to your market. The problem with tomatoes harvested this way is that they lack the full sugar and flavor that can develop when tomatoes are vine-ripened until they are fully ripe. If commercial growers picked tomatoes when they were ripe, by the time they got to you they'd be rotten since usually tomatoes come from Mexico and so it takes weeks to transport them.

The home gardener can wait until the last minute when the tomato is fully ripe and at full flavor since they are consuming it within days of harvesting, not weeks like in the above scenario.

Protip: grow heirlooms, which are unmodified "classic" tomatoes with very complex flavors. My favorite heirlooms are Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Amazing flavor, especially if you're letting them ripen fully on the vine. You know it's fully ripe when there is no green color left, and when the tomato itself is slightly squishy when you squeeze it.

Any other tomato questions?!

That is a great explication, thank you!

 

[bminiman]

Great response! What are some other varieties other than Heirloom that you would recommend? Also, does this advice apply to peppers?

The non-heirloom varieties don't taste as rich but they have disease resistance and other benefits, such as faster ripening. I would recommend Early Girl or Better Boy.

About peppers: yes the same applies. Except you can harvest peppers when they are green but they'll be less sweet, so you can use them in certain dishes like stir fry etc