What are the factors that result in the poor quality tomatoes we often see on the market?
Although many factors could be listed, there are four which play the dominant role in determining the quality of tomato fruits presented to the customer in the retail store: • variety • maturity at time of harvest • storage temperature during shipping and handling (this is probably the most common cause; tomatoes are often shipped or stored at improper temperatures, which causes severe taste loss…never allow tomato pulp temperature to go below 55F!) • physical damage Source: California Fresh Market Advisory Board, Informational Bulletin No. 12, June 1, 1976.
