Software
Houzz Logo Print
fritzgarden

ripening green tomatoes

19 years ago

other than fried green tomatoes, has anyone any tricks tips to lend regarding ripening green tomatoes that are now off the vine?

Comments (8)

  • 19 years ago

    When we pull green ones at the end of the season, we wrap each one in a piece of newspaper and put it in a cardboard box. We check them every couple of days to get the ripe ones out before they rot. If you store them in a cool dry place they will keep for a while.

  • 19 years ago

    edie has a good system.

    If you want to push some that are starting to "break" you can put them in a paper bag with a bruised apple and it will help to ripen them faster, they wont be as good as vine ripened but as good if not better than store bought and free.

    Keith

  • 19 years ago

    Leave them exposed in a cool area, out of the sunlight.

    Check daily for rotten ones

    Adding an apple or banana works "IF" the Banana or Apple was ripened with ethylene and the tomotes are hybirds bred to ripen with ethylene.

    IE an organic or local grown apple in some heirloom tomatoes don't work

  • 19 years ago

    I always have a hard time getting them to ripen before they rot. So I look for recipes to use them.
    Do you can? There are recipes for green tomato relishes and pickles. Do you bake? Paula Deen has a green tomato cake recipe on the food network website, it uses about 12 to 15 tomatoes, seeded and diced. It is very good, made it this morning.

    Diane

  • 19 years ago

    We sometimes have cool weather here when the tomatoes are still on the vines, even though frost is not a problem.

    I pick them - if there is a slight hint of pink - and put them in a bright south-facing window. There is one vigorous Roma left in the garden, which has produced well over 100 fruit this year, and it is still going strong.

    Fresh tomatoes on our salads every day - "my cup runneth over."

    The other posts above will work as well - especially if the "maters" are quite green.

    Just my 2 c's.

    Bejay

  • 19 years ago

    Before I wrap my green tomatoes in newspaper, I soak them for about 5-10 minutes in (~5-10%) dilute household bleach solution and let them air dry on a clean towel. This helps rid of the many of the yeasts/molds which may make your tomato rot prior to ripening. If there is a drop or two of bleach solution on the tomatoes, I do not wipe them dry. Believe me all traces of bleach will be gone by the time the tomatoes are ripe.

  • 19 years ago

    Past experience has taught me that ripening green tomatoes successfully inside is variety dependent. The thicker skinned Juliets do really well. Sunsugar and Striped German do not taste good when harvested green and I do not waste my time with them. Generally, the larger and imperfect tomatoes rot more easily during the ripening process. The peach and fuzzy type tomatoes ripen and store well for many weeks at room temperature. I am looking forward to eating my garden tomatoes into December that were all harvested before the killing frost on 10/29/07.

    Chervil2

  • 19 years ago

    I am now processing my tomatoes when I picked the plants clean in late Sept. Put the tomatoes in boxes when I picked them and put them in the "sun room", a south facing greenhouse room full of windows which we vent into the rest of the house. Just let them sit there and they are now completely ripe, although some of the smaller greener ones didn't ripen much beyond what you you get in the store. Have been eating the fresh tomatoes since picking, very good when they ripen, but now processing the rest into sauce as the larger ones are starting to spoil--the Big Boy types don't keep and ripen as well. Smaller/medium ones like Early Girl and romas do the best.