University Researchers Imitate Heirloom Tomato Taste

Heirloom tomatoes grow in a University of Florida greenhouse. Pic: David Manning, New York Times

Researchers at the University of Florida are cultivating tomatoes that taste like sweet, juicy heirloom tomatoes that will be suitable for mass production and supermarket sales.

According to Prof. Harry Klee of the University’s Horticultural Sciences Department, the reason most supermarket tomatoes taste bland and lack flavour is simply because farmers are paid to produce as much as possible, rather than tomatoes that taste good. Since Florida is a leading producer of fresh tomatoes, with a crop that is valued at more than US$430-million annually, Prof. Klee decided it was time to change the mindset.

The Tomato Research Study

In an endeavour to uncover the chemical content of tomatoes, Klee and his research team studied close on 100 varieties, including a number of heirlooms. They also has 13 panels of 100 people do taste tests, rating each of the tomato types studied.

As a result, they were able to link taste to natural chemical content, rather than guessing what was important for good taste in tomatoes. One of the most fascinating findings was that there are volatile chemicals in some tomatoes that contribute to sweetness independently of sugar.

The key, of course, is to be able to produce tomatoes that both taste good and can be successfully grown in big volumes.

As a result of the study, Prof. Klee says in an article on the University website, that the time has come to “rethink the way that we look at what is the chemistry of flavour”.  Geranial, which is a chemical that has traditionally been considered unimportant in terms of flavour, turns out to be highly rated for enhancing sweetness. Cis-3-hexanol, which is abundant in tomatoes, and has long been thought to boast taste, turns out to have no valuable taste role to play.

The Tastiest Tomatoes

Whilst the academics continue to find ways to transfer the newfound chemicals into commercial tomatoes that will have improved disease resistance and produce higher yields, it is interesting for those of us who grow tomatoes at home to discover which tomato varieties were considered the most tasty by the panels. These include:

• Cherry Roma
• Maglia Rosa (also a cherry tomato)
• Ailsa Craig (a medium-sized type)
• German Queen (a large fruiting variety)

Importance of the Newly Discovered Tomato Chemicals

According to the University of Florida researchers, it isn’t only tomatoes that will benefit from the results of the study. The sweet chemicals they have discovered may prove to be very important to the food industry as a whole as they could be used to sweeten foods without using sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Perhaps predictably, the University of Florida has applied for a patent on the tomato taste chemicals their research team has discovered.

For information on how to grow a range of delicious tomatoes, get our book How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes.