How ripe is "Ripe Enough"?

[jflournoy]

We planted a lot of heirloom varieties this year for the first time, and we are on a taste-testing binge, having tasted about 15 varieties so far, and only being much impressed by a couple. Having tasted a few varieties twice, though, I'm wondering if perhaps the first go-round I didn't let them get quite ripe enough. We haven't cut into anything that wasn't starting to get pretty soft and had a lot of "give" around the bottom of the tomato, but a lot of those ended up having a fair bit of yellow/white core still up near the top/stem end of the inside, and some of the seeds appeared a little "green" still. Outside color was good and the bottom was quite soft, but some of these were varieties I have variously seen referred to as "sweet" and I was shocked upon taking my first bite that I didn't taste any sweetness at all.

How much difference is there between "fully ripe" and "1 day too soon"? The few we have tried a second time, when the tomatoes were a little more ripe, were Indian Stripe and Mikado Black, and we were noticeably more impressed with the 2nd samples than the 1st ones.

One we tasted today for the 1st time and it was pretty ripe almost all the way to the stem end, was Liz Birt, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with it. Not real juicy, very meaty, and a definite hint of sweetness, I liked it very much.

Thoughts? How do you tell when the whole tomato is ready to cut into?

[jflournoy]

Anyone have any thoughts on "external" signs of when a tomato is definitively "ripe"?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by jflournoy

Anyone have any thoughts on "external" signs of when a tomato is definitively "ripe"?

I don't think any generalizations are possible , to answer your question.

There are so many varieties, about close to maybe 12 K available to the public, which makes it impossible.

I'd say first look at some pictures of the varieties you're growing, either at Tania's website, or Google, so you know what ripe ones should look like.

But some will be soft when ripe, some won't be,some will have green shoulders, some won't.

When there are several fruits on a truss and you see different stages of ripeness, try some of the fruits to see which ones you like best.

I think what it comes down to is the more varieties you grow, and the more experience you gain, the better you'll be able to make some judgements about ripeness and taste for each variety.

Carolyn

[Labradors2]

Somebody mentioned "smell" and I use that test for melons and pears but, so far, I cannot detect a different smell in my ripe tomatoes!

Linda

[jflournoy]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I don't think any generalizations are possible , to answer your question.

There are so many varieties, about close to maybe 12 K available to the public, which makes it impossible.

I'd say first look at some pictures of the varieties you're growing, either at Tania's website, or Google, so you know what ripe ones should look like.

But some will be soft when ripe, some won't be,some will have green shoulders, some won't.

When there are several fruits on a truss and you see different stages of ripeness, try some of the fruits to see which ones you like best.

I think what it comes down to is the more varieties you grow, and the more experience you gain, the better you'll be able to make some judgements about ripeness and taste for each variety.

Carolyn

I'm sure that's true, but I'm trying to cheat a little.

My other big question is, how much difference is one day of ripeness going to make in the "true" taste of almost any variety? As I mentioned in my original post, some we tasted once and then sampled another one a week or so later that seemed just barely more ripe, and the taste difference was marked. I'm just wondering if I now need to go back and taste again all those other varieties we tasted and weren't terribly impressed with, even though they had a good reputation, to see if that one day of ripeness really made that much more difference?

[Old chef]

Tomato taste is not going to change in one more day of ripeness. Good tasting tomatoes are a result of soil that is well balanced and amended.
Just because they are "heirloom " doesn't guarantee a great tasting tomato. Could be the variety that you have planted.
Here is a list of tasty heirlooms that I am growing this year and have been very successful with.
Black krim
Yellow brandywine
Pink brandywine
Granny cantrelle
Chocolate pear
Dr Wyche yellow
Blue berries
Ivory egg
Blush
Cour de bue
Riesentroube
Fox cherry
Vorlon
Gold medal
Black plum

Good luck
Old Chef

[carolyn137]

I agree with Old Chef that one day, or even a few days of so called ripeness is not going to make a difference.

I never strolled through my tomato patch and kept track of fruits that were ripening in terms of days, I don't think many do.

If you grow a variety that comes to you, or you select it, b/c quite a few others like it, and it doesn't like you, then grow it again the next year. No two seasons are the same and you can't expect excellent results for all that you grow in one season.

On top of that, I think some varieties MAY do better in different parts of the country, heck I know they do even in gardens just a few miles apart based on the taste testings I've done in the past.

No two folks use the same methods of growing, nor use the same amendments, so that's yet another variable.

And then we come to taste which is both personal and perceptual and even has a human genetic component.

So with all the variables at work I think each person has to make their own decisions and continually update that , keeping the varieties that they like, growing new varieties, and if the newer varieties do even better, than dropping your previous faves.

Which is one reason that when asked, I never have listed my top 5, my top anything, since I know that changes almost yearly.

Carolyn

[joseph]

One of my neighbors offered me tomatoes... She said, "If we can find anything in the patch that is ripe". To my eyes and taste buds every tomato in the patch was so overripe that they were practically fermenting on the vine!!! And she couldn't find a ripe one anywhere.

I pick tomatoes as soon as they start coloring up. They keep better, they travel better, and I lose fewer to bugs and splitting.

I don't have any confidence that my taste buds respond the same way from day to day, or even from minute to minute. What I have previously eaten affects how they respond, and my physical and mental health have their influences. Tomatoes taste different mid-day when the sun has warmed them than they do early in the morning when they are still chilled from the overnight radiant cooling. So many variables... So hard to compensate for all of them.

[Tormato]

To me, the external signs of being fully ripe is not exhibiting the external signs of being overripe. Generally, overripe tomatoes will start to get small darker patches, usually starting near the bottom, sort of like grease on a piece of paper. This shows up more often on very large beefsteaks than on smaller globes or cherries.

This is not to be confused with bruising of very large tomatoes, where the weight of the tomato sitting on a flat surface will cause parts to be flattened and the bruise may darken. This can largely be avoided by turning them over once or twice a day.

Dr. Lve Apple

[habitat_gardener]

Sometimes the first tomatoes of the season from a given variety don't taste as good as the ones that come a little later, at least in my area where we have cool nights (which may have something to do with the flavor deficit).

Watering also plays a role. Tomatoes that have been kept a little on the dry side tend to taste better than those that have gotten too much water (which tend to taste "watered down").

I've gotten a lot of big tomatoes much earlier than usual this year, but so far none of them taste extraordinary yet.

Hmm...I'd always thought you could determine ripeness by "feel." I pick mine at first blush and wait to eat them until they feel ripe, or I choose the one that smells best.

[Fred Hempel]

Every tomato has it's own trajectory of flavor change when ripening. And we all respond differently to the various stages.

Which means that there is no rule of thumb beyond rock-hard green tomatoes usually aren't that great, and neither are over-ripe rotting tomatoes. In between, it is all a matter of "taste"

[jflournoy]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I agree with Old Chef that one day, or even a few days of so called ripeness is not going to make a difference.

I never strolled through my tomato patch and kept track of fruits that were ripening in terms of days, I don't think many do.

If you grow a variety that comes to you, or you select it, b/c quite a few others like it, and it doesn't like you, then grow it again the next year. No two seasons are the same and you can't expect excellent results for all that you grow in one season.

On top of that, I think some varieties MAY do better in different parts of the country, heck I know they do even in gardens just a few miles apart based on the taste testings I've done in the past.

No two folks use the same methods of growing, nor use the same amendments, so that's yet another variable.

And then we come to taste which is both personal and perceptual and even has a human genetic component.

So with all the variables at work I think each person has to make their own decisions and continually update that , keeping the varieties that they like, growing new varieties, and if the newer varieties do even better, than dropping your previous faves.

Which is one reason that when asked, I never have listed my top 5, my top anything, since I know that changes almost yearly.

Carolyn

I'm actually doing just that this year, to see how close the stated DTM are in my growing area for each variety I planted. That is one reason for my question, the other reason being I just want to get a good idea what these varieties taste like when "truly" ripe.

[jflournoy]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

Sometimes the first tomatoes of the season from a given variety don't taste as good as the ones that come a little later, at least in my area where we have cool nights (which may have something to do with the flavor deficit).

Watering also plays a role. Tomatoes that have been kept a little on the dry side tend to taste better than those that have gotten too much water (which tend to taste "watered down").

I've gotten a lot of big tomatoes much earlier than usual this year, but so far none of them taste extraordinary yet.

Hmm...I'd always thought you could determine ripeness by "feel." I pick mine at first blush and wait to eat them until they feel ripe, or I choose the one that smells best.

I wonder very much if this might have more to do with the differences I noticed than any other explanation. I grow a lot of apples, and they can be the same way (although not always). I had some apples from one of my trees last week that were ripe very early, and they weren't nearly as good as some I've picked ripe this week from the same tree.