Peak tomato season is nearly upon us, and our tastebuds are tingling in anticipation of the sweet summer fruits. But do we really need to wait? NPR’s Salt blog wondered whether tomatoes grown in greenhouses are just as tasty as those outdoors. And they turned to CALS horticulturist Neil Mattson for answers.
The co-director of Cornell’s Controlled Environment Agriculture program explained that good tomato flavor is a complex combination of sugars, acids and gasses we experience as smell, and it depends on a variety of factors, including breeding and temperature. More tomatoes are being bred to thrive indoors, and the environmental conditions that make for a perfect outdoor tomato can now be replicated in greenhouses. Greenhouse growers don’t have to worry about a heavy rain or a cold spell ruining their fruit.
This is becoming increasingly important now that global warming is making outdoor farming less predictable. But sustainability implications must still be considered, Mattson said. “The greenhouse is this expensive structure that we’re paying a lot to heat and cool and light.”
But the burning question: which is best?
“In the end I still love growing my own tomatoes in my backyard in the summer,” Mattson said. “It’s psychological, but I think they taste best.”