Why have supermarket tomatoes stopped tasting like tomatoes?

There is something rather disappointing about slicing into a tomato that looks perfect but tastes of very little. The skin is glossy, the colour is bright red, and yet the flavour barely registers. Why does a tomato picked from the garden often taste so much better than one bought from the supermarket?

Flavour starts with the variety

Tomatoes are not all bred for the same qualities. Commercial growers need fruit that can withstand harvesting, packing, transport and days on a shop shelf. Firmness, uniform appearance, reliable yields and disease resistance all matter. Flavour matters too, but the balance of sweetness, acidity and aroma is not always the main priority.

Some varieties naturally produce a richer flavour than others. Small cherry tomatoes, for example, often have a higher concentration of sugars and a more pronounced taste, although there are excellent larger varieties too.

Why ripeness makes a difference

A tomato develops its characteristic flavour as it ripens. Picking fruit before it is fully ripe can make handling and distribution easier, but the result may not taste quite like a tomato left to mature on the plant.

Tomatoes can continue to change colour after picking, but colour alone does not guarantee a full, complex flavour. The variety, growing conditions and stage of maturity at harvest all contribute.

Cold storage can dull the flavour

Tomatoes are sensitive to prolonged chilling. Low temperatures can interfere with the development of some of the aromatic compounds that give a ripe tomato its distinctive smell and taste. That is one reason tomatoes kept in the fridge can seem rather flat, even after they have warmed up again.

If your tomatoes are ripe and you plan to eat them soon, a cool spot out of direct sunlight is generally better for flavour than the refrigerator. If they are becoming overripe, refrigeration may help reduce waste; allow them to return to room temperature before serving.

Does growing under glass make tomatoes tasteless?

Not necessarily. Greenhouse tomatoes can be delicious, and outdoor tomatoes can be bland. Light, temperature, water management, variety and ripeness all affect the result. A sunny summer often helps develop sweetness, but good flavour is not simply a matter of whether a plant grows indoors or outside.

How to find better-tasting tomatoes

• Try different varieties. Look for tomatoes sold for flavour rather than appearance alone, and compare cherry, plum and larger types.
• Buy in season. British-grown tomatoes are generally at their best through the warmer months, when light levels support ripening.
• Use your nose. A ripe tomato often has a distinctive scent near the stem, though aroma varies by variety.
• Store them thoughtfully. Avoid chilling good ripe tomatoes unnecessarily if you will eat them promptly.
• Grow a plant or two. Even a compact bush tomato in a sunny pot can provide fruit picked at just the right moment.

Growing your own is worth a try

You do not need a greenhouse or a large vegetable patch to grow tomatoes. A sunny patio, balcony or sheltered garden corner can be enough for a suitable compact variety. Keep the compost consistently moist, feed according to the fertiliser instructions once fruit develops, and give the plant plenty of light.

The greatest advantage is being able to pick the fruit when it is properly ripe and eat it straight away. A home-grown tomato is not automatically better, but choosing a tasty variety and harvesting at its peak gives it an excellent chance.

So have supermarket tomatoes really lost their taste?

Not all of them. Supermarkets sell many varieties, and some are very good indeed. But the demands of large-scale supply chains can favour tomatoes that travel and keep well over those with the most memorable flavour. If you have been disappointed by a perfectly red but rather dull tomato, you are not imagining the difference.

Next time, try a different variety, choose ripe seasonal fruit, or grow a pot of your own. Sometimes the best tomato is simply the one you can eat closest to the moment it was picked.

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