UK Scientists Create Tomato that Stays Firm

[ilex]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

Yes, I have been harvesting Tomatiga de Ramallet and they are pretty firm when red. Will have to see if how they seem in a few months, but I am starting to wonder how similar to supermarket tomatoes they are going to be!

Not easy to answer as there are over 200 varieties known by that name, which is a generic used in Mallorca for de colgar tomatoes.

There's also a fake hybrid going around.

Usually they are not that firm. Hard skin, yes, hard flesh, uncommon. Depends a lot on particular variety. Note that main use for these is rubbing on bread, and you need soft flesh for rubbing, even it only gets soft after a couple months in storage.

Most supermarket tomatoes use different "ripening delaying" genes than de colgar tomatoes. Why? No idea. They reinvented the wheel and ended with a square.

De colgar tomatoes are very different from supermarket tomatoes.

[ilex]

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

You may well have something there Worth. It makes sense. But if there is something that can prolong the flavor cycle it may well also be worth pursuing.

There's a study about aroma in storage for de colgar tomatoes. It depends a lot on variety. Most had peak aroma between 2 and 4 months in storage. Aroma is fairly related to flavour.