We’ve had a bumper crop this summer. Those that aren’t consumed at one sitting* go into the fridge, and taste just fine if eaten within a few days. In fact, the best-tasting tomato I’ve had this summer was a home-grown beefsteak type that was sliced cold into my salad (especially good with a few Baco-bits).
I am curious how a tomato could lose “enzyme activity” (and thus flavor) in the fridge, but magically recover the enzyme activity when warmed back to room temp. I suspect this is utter bullshit.
*our black Lab plucked a big ripe one off the vine the other day and happily downed the whole thing, chomping away and expelling juice and seeds out the sides of her mouth. She eagerly eats cold slices too.
News Flash -
Supermarket tomatoes have already been refrigerated for a variable length of time. Tomatoes are picked at the green-ripe stage (any that are riper than that are discarded), washed, graded, boxed, and stored in refrigerators the size of a basketball court. When they are about to be shipped - which can be weeks to months later - the cooler is flooded with ethylene gas for 24 hours. The boxed tomatoes are then loaded on the trucks and sent to market. By the time they get there they have turned red (Ripe :dubious: ).
Worked in a tomato packing house during college summer break.