A few days ago, I bought a tomato that was still partially green, and
obviously not completely ripe. I noticed this, because usually the
store bought tomatoes are treated with ethylene gas to "ripen" them.
Well, the gas does change their color, and may help to ripen the
tomato, but the results are not as good as time itself provides. I took
the tomato home, and put it in my fruit bowl on the kitchen table.

A few days later I noticed the tomato was no longer green. Because the
tomato was not treated with ethylene, I was able to tell that it was
getting ripe. With the gas treated tomatoes, it is not as easy to tell,
and often the tomatoes go to mush before I realise they are ripe. This
time was different. When I noticed it has changed, I was pretty sure
the tomato was ripe, and after careful experimentation (I sliced it up
and put it on a roast beef sandwhich), I was sure it was ripe. It was
also quite tastey, something I have missed about most tomatoes of late.

Now I see the insidious nature of the gas treatment. It doesn't really
do anything bad in and of itself, it just prevents me from knowing when
the tomato really is ripe. Without the treatment, I can see the tomato
as it ripens, and know when it is ripe. With the treatment, I don't
know the tomato is ripe until it starts to go bad.

The ugly tomato was the cheapest tomato they had at the store ($1.79 or
$1.59 per pound, IIRC), but turned out to be tastier than many other
tomatoes I have bought at higher prices. I'm sure many of those
expensive gas-treated tomatoes would be very good as well, but how can
I tell when they will be good ? I certainly can't tell by looking at
them, and while I could squeeze and sniff them, the color method seems
to work as well if the tomato isn't (mis-)treated with ethylene gas.

I think I'll have ugly tomatoes from now on.

Dean G.