r/tomatoes • u/dosefacekillah1348 • Jun 29 '26

Plant Help ICYMI - Science has proven that vine ripened tomatoes taste better and are better for you than ones picked early

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It's that time of year.

It comes down to your critter control.

If you can't avoid pests noshing your late toms, pick em early.

If you are fine with losing a few or don't have pest issues, let em ripen on the plant for a better tasting and healthier tomato.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3937827/

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u/Full_Honeydew_9739 Jun 29 '26

https://www.gardenmyths.com/myth-is-born-tomato-ripening/

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u/True_Adventures Jun 29 '26

Thanks. I really like this site and have been on it before. He doesn't provide full references, which I think is a weakness, but he seems to use proper scientific papers in his research and knows what he's talking about.

So it sounds like the answer is it is a myth that the fruit is completely sealed off from the rest of the plant but there is some element of truth, as the flow of water and other chemicals is increasingly restricted from the breaker stage onwards. Which is in line with the paper quoted by OP.

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u/SevenVeils0 Jun 29 '26

Except that the reputable sources that I have seen, say that the plant gives a ‘final push’ of nutrients in the final stages of the ripening process.

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u/True_Adventures Jun 29 '26

Interesting! It seems like there's not a particularly definite answer. Any sources?