While we grow tomatoes throughout the year in Hawaii, this is the season for the best of island-grown tomatoes, just like on the mainland. Sun and heat help to develop the flavor and sugar of this most beloved of fruit (botanically speaking).

And what about those "vine ripened" tomatoes — are they better than those picked green and exposed to ethylene gas? Maybe.

A vine-ripened tomato is picked when it starts to turn pink and it is not subjected to ethylene for ripening. This is the accepted rule but not always the practice.

Most commercially grown tomatoes are picked at the "mature green" stage, when the dark-green fruit changes to light green, then almost white. At this stage, tomatoes will continue to ripen and develop color and flavor. Ethylene helps the process along, but the longer a tomato sits on the vine with heat and sun, the better the flavor.

For the best tomato, get to know your tomato farmer. At farmers markets, talk to growers and ask about their practices. Go online and look for information on branded tomatoes you find at supermarkets.

If you’re buying locally grown supermarket bulk tomatoes that are picked "mature green," leave them on your kitchen counter for a few days and give them a chance to turn red and flavorful. Tomatoes are ready to eat when they are slightly soft and red inside and out. Never refrigerate a tomato.

A good, ripe tomato needs little enhancement. A sprinkling of salt, some freshly ground black pepper and maybe some good-quality olive oil is all you need to enjoy summer’s tomato bounty.

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Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers weekly tidbits on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.