A Matter of Taste

Ask any gardener and they will tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that a vine-ripened tomato is the stuff dreams are made of. There is simply no comparison to store-bought. Many of the fruits available for purchase at your local grocery stores have not been harvested at peak ripeness. Tomatoes, for example, are harvested prematurely and undergo forced ripening through ethylene gas exposure. Conversely, kale harvested in the summer months can be bitter and unappetizing. The same applies to lettuce and other greens as they get exposed to summer heat and begin to bolt (go to flower). Seasonality matters.