I have always wondered about why supermarket tomatoes are so tasteless. Yesterday I read an article about tomatoes which contained these few sentences. So now, perhaps I know.

Commercial tomatoes are usually picked green in order for them to survive the long distances to markets. In order to have them the appealing red colour by the time they reach the consumer, they are sprayed with ethylene, which turns them red. These tomatoes are called hard-ripened, as opposed to vine-ripened. These will not soften by storing them at room temperature and must be refrigerated to prevent them from rotting. However, vine-ripened tomatoes should never be refrigerated as cold temperatures interfere with the ripening process and zaps the flavour. Nor should they be lined up on the windowsill to greet the sun. The ripening process can be speeded up just like any fruit by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple or a banana.

I have known for a long time that oranges and similar fruit are sprayed with orange dye, but I was a bit surprised to find the same kind of thing happening with tomatoes!