Greenhouse Tomatoes

The phone rang while I was at Piedmont Produce the other day. Teresa, our wonderful cashier, answered it and after a few seconds put the phone to her shoulder and asked me if our tomatoes were “greenhouse” tomatoes because the lady on the phone wanted nothing to do with them if they came from a greenhouse. I told her no, our tomatoes are grown outside in the field and didn’t really give it a second thought. After she hung up I realized what she was really asking.

Many people have a misconception about greenhouse produce. They think that it is generally not as good as fresh field produce; especially when it comes to tomatoes. Most of the time when you think about greenhouse tomatoes, you think about tomatoes that have been picked green and artificially ripened making them tougher and lose their flavor. Yes, this does happen, most of the time in the off-season, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that tomatoes from greenhouses are not as good as field tomatoes.

The question you really need to be asking instead of “are they greenhouse tomatoes” is “are they vine-ripened tomatoes?” What causes the tomatoes to lose their flavor and texture is the ripening process. If they are allowed to ripen naturally while they are still on the vine and picked red they will be the sweet, soft tomato that you are looking for. It doesn’t matter if they are grown in a greenhouse or in the field. This year we grew some of our early tomatoes and heirlooms in the greenhouse. When they were picked at the right time it was impossible to tell the difference from the field tomatoes.

You should also ask about where they come from. Much of the produce you see in the big chain grocery stores come from Florida or California or somewhere that has a very constant climate for year-long growing. Well, in order to get a tomato shipped from California to North Carolina without it going bad, it has to be picked while it is still green and tough, transported across the country, and artificially ripened to look nice and pretty on the shelves. It wasn’t even necessarily grown in a greenhouse.

I know that ‘artificial’ anything dealing with produce is a big red flag for most people so before everyone starts boycotting out of state tomatoes I’ll explain the ripening process of a tomato. While they might not be as tasty as their vine-ripened counterparts, artificially ripened tomatoes are still just as healthy for you and your family so don’t worry. To ripen a tomato, all you have to do is introduce ethylene gas to them. That’s it.

I know I know, it sounds very scary but actually tomatoes produce ethylene naturally in the field. It is sometimes called ‘the ripening hormone’ and many fruits and vegetables produce it and use it in the ripening process. Being as smarty-pants as we are, scientists have figured this out and can use it to ripen produce quicker; otherwise known as artificial ripening. So really artificial ripening is just forced natural ripening to better suit shipping needs. The tomatoes might not have the field time to produce all the delicious sugars we like to eat, but they are not harmful. Feel free to buy tomatoes from your favorite grocery store in December, but during prime season remember to ask if they are vine-ripened and make sure they are from right here in the Carolinas! That way you know you can’t go wrong.