You really cannot beat the flavour of a warm, ripe, juicy tomato. Not all tomatoes are grown equally though. The majority of what lands on our shelves in the UK is picked underripe, relying on the use of ethylene gas to complete the ripening process off the vine.
The result? Watery, insipid, often tasteless fruits, usually with a sour or bitter edge, and a pulpy, grainy texture. Growing your own is a simple pleasure. But if you don't have space, time or green fingers, you can lean on the expertise of specialists such as Isle of Wight Tomatoes, whose Speciality Tomatoes were selected by Simon Rogan MBE as a Gold winner in the 2024 Great British Food Awards.
Grown naturally, and filled with the goodness of the island's nutrient-dense soil and sea swept air, Isle of Wight Tomatoes are only picked at the peak of perfection, when the team are confident every single one is at its absolute best.
Available in an array of dazzling colours, they're just beautiful eaten as they are. But if you're looking for a little inspiration, watch our video to discover how to transform them into a quick and easy Spanish tapas dish, how to combine them into a salad with a strawberry and balsamic dressing, and how to cook them down with a variety of spices into a fresh chutney to pair with cheeses, curries and more.
How can you tell if tomatoes are ripe?
A ripe tomato will pull easily away from the vine. Traditional red varieties will have a deep, vibrant colour all over, and will have a rich, herbaceous scent. Give the tomatoes a gentle squeeze. They should yield a little under pressure. Finally, when you cut into a ripe tomato, the colour of the skin should have permeated the flesh - it shouldn't be white and pale.
