Vine Tomato - a bunch

The individual tomatoes are larger and a little cheaper. The “vine-ripened” tomatoes are a little more expensive, but they are brighter, and they were ripened on the vine… so they must be fresher or taste better or… something. ... They are allowed to ripen on the vine before being picked.

The description vine tomatoes may be confused with the term vine-ripened tomatoes. The latter refers to any tomatoes which are picked when ripe, i.e. they ripen on the plant. This gives optimum flavour, but makes the fruit more perishable. All British tomatoes are vine-ripened as they have only a short distance to travel to market. Imported tomatoes are usually picked less ripe, to withstand the lengthy journey here by road or sea and firmer, long-life varieties are commonly used. Additionally they provide a very good indication of the freshness of the fruit since the calyx, the green spiky bit to which the fruit is attached, deteriorates quickly after harvesting.