The Real Tomato Experience
When compared to those commercially grown (harvested green, 2 weeks before turning red, and artificially ripened with ethylene gas), a sunlight and vine-ripened, garden tomato is worth the wait. While there’s superior sweetness, there’s also a greater balance of acidity and the Umami sensation with naturally ripened tomatoes. This reflects the transformation of molecules by sunlight and the exchanges of nutrients between the plant and the tomato that take place right up until peak ripeness. But it’s not just the unmistakeable taste difference. There are even greater nutritional differences generated by a natural, sun-driven ripening process. The levels of solanine for instance, the phytochemical in nightshades that can be an issue for some people, are much higher in artificially-ripened tomatoes. Solanine is specifically a glycoalkaloid and these substances are not always well tolerated. It’s produced by tomato plants as a defense mechanism against insects. Once ripe, there’s no longer a need to protect the fruit and solanine levels decrease rapidly with exposure to sunlight. There’s also alpha-tomatine, another tomato plant-produced defense molecule. It has mild toxicity in larger amounts and levels are only measurable in unripe tomatoes and those that are picked prematurely and artificially ripened.
There are many reasons to make tomatoes a regular part of our diet. Their potassium content is exceptional. Even better, tomatoes possess one of the highest potassium to fructose ratios of any fruit. This makes them highly protective against heart disease and hypertension. There are also benefits that are sunlight dependent. Tomatoes can be a rich source of lycopene. A well studied carotenoid offering significant protection against various forms of cancer. Lycopene acts as sun protection for tomatoes. Far greater levels are found in the sun-ripened fruits compared to those picked green. The same is true of vitamin C. The levels found in tomatoes picked as fully ripened fruits can be more than 2x greater than those of artificially ripened versions.
A tomato grown in sunlight and harvested ripe is real enjoyment and nourishment. It’s important to remember that not all vine-ripened tomatoes are naturally, sun-ripened. Green tomatoes can be left on the vine and ripened with ethylene gas as well. They can be sold on-the-vine and advertised as vine-ripened but not be sun-ripened.
The best tomatoes will always be those grown locally and in-season. Enjoy them now and check out Jan Buhrman’s recent article here:
