Yeah, it would be awesome to figure out how to make delicious tomatoes that ripen well after picking and are sturdy enough to transport. There's probably a ton of money to be made on that, especially if you could make it pest and drought resistant. And while you're at it why not make them fix nitrogen like some legumes[1].
I actually mean it, I'm really excited to see how we can mix and match useful genes from other plants or heirloom varieties into sturdy crops that can be shipped to grocery stores. Theres so much potential here.
It's not a matter of genetics. Store-bought tomatoes are almost always unripe, to make transport easier. Then they are treated with ethylene to artificially finish the final steps (but it's obviously not exactly the same result).
It's not _just_ a matter of genetics. But I'm pretty sure the supermarket ones have been bred for looks and shelf life.
I've grown store bought tomatoes. Last year we hardly bought any as the production was enough even though I have a tiny backyard.
There is some difference. Supermarket ones are a little bit more bland, and way bigger. But the difference in taste is minimal and you can only tell if you got them side by side.
However, if I compare supermarket tomatoes in the US vs supermarket tomatoes in Brazil, the ones in the US taste like water. They look different too (the brazilian ones don't usually look like a cartoon drawing, they are less 'perfect' visually).
If I could import seeds (not allowed!) I would, just so I could finally compare like with like (weather conditions, soil, etc).
The first transgenic product was a tomato that decayed slower so it could be picked later. It launched the anti-GMO movement and was taken off the market.
Do you guys have the little varieties of cherry tomatoes they are growing now? Here in North America we have had all these little tomatoes for the past few years. They honestly taste great. Bit more sour than homegrown and not close to as big. But very tasty all the same.
I'm actually not sure about the varieties within those you can buy in supermarkets. You usually have just one "brand" of organic cherry and one brand of organic normal sized tomatoes. Those are the ones we buy. There are sometimes different version within the non-organic variants in bigger supermarkets but I haven't tested those for quite some years.
They don't exist in supermarkets though and what I grow is not much. I only have balcony for that but I assure you, I enjoy every single one slowly and pure.
I buy only organic tomatoes. The most expensive ones available at the supermarket.
Have been doing that for years. Stopped buying the big (normal) ones years ago because I couldn't come by any with taste left. Went for the smaller ones. Most of those were good for some time, than they declined also. Now they have micro tomatoes. The one time I bought them, they tested quite good. Can't find them anymore. Maybe it was a one time thing. I grow my own on the balcony now and rarely try to buy any in stores these days. Sometimes you get a good batch. Most of the time it's a waste of money.
The only way to get good ones for sure besides growing them is buying tinned ones and probably on the market but I work and have no time to go to the market.
I'm in the UK, ymmv, but I'm happy with (especially British-grown) 'San Marzano' large plum tomatoes.
Especially in-season they're often in the (great value) 'tomato selection' punnets that at least Waitrose and M&S offer. (The rest are a mix of whatever their buyers found reasonable, typically mostly small cherry and plum.)
I'm absolutely not claiming they're the best, they're not, but the value's great (~£2.70/750g iirc) and there's flavour. Anything cheaper is flavourless crunchy crap IME. (And plenty more expensive too, I don't really understand, but I suppose the unpredictability of what's in the punnet is helpful/a saving to them, so it can be made cheaper to consumer? :shrug:)
I actually mean it, I'm really excited to see how we can mix and match useful genes from other plants or heirloom varieties into sturdy crops that can be shipped to grocery stores. Theres so much potential here.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28712497/