> Commercial mass-produced tomatoes, bananas and other climacteric fruit are picked heavily unripe […] I've heard it said that frozen vegetables are often "fre

> Commercial mass-produced tomatoes, bananas and other climacteric fruit are picked heavily unripe […] I've heard it said that frozen vegetables are often "fresher" than non-frozen: they're picked when they're actually ripe, and flash frozen a short distance from the farm. They can then be moved about and stored with much less fuss as long as they're kept cold. Some trade-offs: > Certain nutrients are also lost during the blanching process. In fact, the greatest loss of nutrients occurs at this time. > Blanching takes place prior to freezing, and involves placing the produce in boiling water for a short time — usually a few minutes. > This kills any harmful bacteria and prevents the loss of flavor, color and texture. Yet it also results in the loss of water-soluble nutrients, such as B-vitamins and vitamin C. * https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-a... Seems to be an area of active research.