A tomato can be mealy or hollow. You buy what appears to be a perfect-looking tomato, only to find it’s an empty shell inside, or at least mealy and disappointing. Such frustration if you’re making a straightforward tomato-based dish like salad!
When you choose tomatoes… Whether at the supermarket or a roadside stand. You generally rely solely on two cues: firmness and color, which leads you to believe that anything that’s deep red must taste good. The truth about commercially grown food is much more complicated then that. There are some behind-the-scenes rules we don’t know about, but once we do, we change the way we cook and shop.
What Tomato Grades Mean for You
But it’s not all looks. There’s also purpose and logistics involved in this grading system. There are clear-cut categories, you can see them on the chart above; indicating where a tomato will end up: on a roadside stand? A processing plant to be made into sauce? A premium grocery display?
Those are called Grade 1 tomatoes. They has to meet very tight criteria. They must have a good shape (well-formed and clean) and a firm texture. The minimum diameter means that these is substantial bites; that’s another reason you don’t see many misshapen, tiny fruits in the premium bins. These are more like stars of the supermarket shelf, not just because they taste good but because they look good.
Grade 2 is imperfect but tolerable. While clean and relatively firm, there may be some small flaws, like discoloration of the skin (this would knock it down to next category). This is where it gets practical. It acknowledges that a slightly scuffed up tomato can still be delicious. There’s a distinction here between buying for consumption versus buying for presentation. Lots of home cooks skip over Grade 2 because there’s a tiny mark on the skin, unaware of how good it tastes.
The look is unforgiving, but the culinary potential are still high in those first two categories. But not how you think: Size does matter. Tomatoes fall into small, medium, large, extra-large categories based off precise diameter measurement in the industry’s standards. And those extra-large ones? They’re saved for export specialties or perhaps for beefsteaks. Those smaller guys might be destined for a speedy salad or local market.
It is a simple sort of categorization system, but it shapes the whole supply chain. By the time you purchase that bag of tomatoes, they’ve been sorted already using calibrated rings. When you take them home, you know exactly what to expect. Each tomato will fit within a certain size category, which mean uniformity for the retailer.
The other important consideration is how ripe the tomato is, which not only affects its flavor but also its texture. There is six stages defined by the standards, beginning with mature green and progressing to fully red. Long-distance-shipped tomatoes may be harvested at the earlier stages to avoid bruising en route. Over time they will ripen artificially or naturaly, rather than on the vine, so their flavor lacks the fullness it might otherwise have had.
So if you’re seeking maximum tastiness, look instead to those latter stages when the fruit has had a chance to fully develop on the vine. Or in a similar perfect situation nearby. That is why farm stand food are often tastier. Their fruit can arrive at peak ripeness without fear of damage in transit.
The final grade also depends largely on any flaws. Sunscald, growth cracks, and catfacing are all scrutinized. Catfacing is an irregular scarring of the blossom end that is sometimes caused by cold stress when the fruit first sets. It may look flawed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the taste is bad.
Mold and decay, however, are instant rejection for all grades. Safety standards is non-negotiable. So next time you see a funny-looking tomato and wonder if it’s worth eating, know that some are but many just can’t be sold.
But in the end, tomato grading isn’t about being the best looking one on display. At least, it is also about which one tastes best. We might love a good-looking tomato, but sometimes we crave something with serious flavor. Whether it’s a beautiful specimen to set on a holiday dinner table, or something juicy and flavorful enough to become part of a batch of summer-time sauce, it’s about making sure the folks who sell it has just what their customers demand.
Knowing some of the ins-and-outs doesn’t require an expert; and understanding the process can help you shop smarter. If you’re craving real flavor, don’t bother with looks; know that sometimes a flaw can be a hint of better taste within.
Think of it next time you grasp a tomato. From the vine to the ring of sorters, the care that went into its inspection will assure it stayed fresh. And try to extend that care to how you’ll enjoy it yourself.