Vine ripe tomatoes

" There are two types of round field tomatoes-mature green and vine ripe. Mature green tomatoes are the backbone of the U.S. fresh field tomato industry and are the major type of tomato grown in Florida and California, with minimal production in Mexico. They are harvested at an early stage; while still green, they are sufficiently mature to ripen after harvest when treated with ethylene gas, the plant's natural ripening agent. Mature green tomatoes are firm, have a long shelf-life, and slice well. They are also one of the lower cost tomatoes. Mature green tomatoes are the dominant tomato in food service, particularly in the fast food industry.

Vine ripe tomatoes are harvested at a slightly riper stage and ripen fully without ethylene treatments. During the winter, most of the vine ripe tomatoes consumed in the United States come from Mexico, with Florida as a minor supplier. During the summer, southern California and Baja California are the main suppliers. Mexican round tomato exports are almost entirely vine ripe. While the vine ripe tomato may appeal to some high-end foodservice firms, most sales have traditionally been to the retail market, in part due to a generally higher cost than mature greens. However, with short supplies of mature green tomatoes in fall 2004, foodservice buyers were more willing to try other types of tomatoes as subsbreastutes. This may lead to shifting foodservice preferences over time."