Agree those are good picking stage so no pests, no sunscald, and no sudden flushes of rain can damage them. Just be sure to set them upside down, on their shoulders on the counter.

Dave

Thanks and done!

What is this whole "Vine Ripened" tomato thing if you encourage ripening on the counter? How is that different from buying from the grocery store? I'm really confused. It's my first year, and I'm letting mine ripen on the vine. Hello? Am I weird or something?

A couple got sun scald, and I did remove those and put on the counter, but I felt bad doing so. They will ripen in a few days maybe, but will they be as good as ripened on the vine?

" It's my first year, and I'm letting mine ripen on the vine. Hello? Am I weird or something?"

Not weird. I think many if not most home gardens would agree.

From what I read, in advertising, "vine ripened" means picked at the breaker stage or later, but not before.

"How Do Vine Ripened Tomatoes Differ From Others?"

Also

"Tomato Patch: How to Save More Tomatoes"

"1. Tomatoes at full red-ripe stage have optimum nutrition, color, and flavor, but they don’t have to be on the vine to reach that point. (Let’s assume this applies to tomatoes of all colors.)
2. Tomatoes start producing ethylene gas internally when they reach full size and turn pale green from their earlier dark green. The ethylene regulates the ripening process. (Tomato growers in Florida, for example, gas their dark-green fruit with ethylene to turn them red in winter, so we can have beautiful red tomatoes that taste like green ones.)

3. When the tomatoes reach the “breaker stage”—about half green and half pink—“a layer of cells forms across their stem, sealing them off from the main vine. At this state, tomatoes can ripen on or off the vine with no loss of quality or flavor,” Marr explained. (If the variety produces a color of fruit other than red, determining “breaker stage” may be more challenging."

You might live where it is pretty hot, so ...

Tomato Plant Ripening: Can You Slow Down The Ripening Of Tomatoes?

"If you live in a region prone to very hot summers, it might be beneficial to know how to slow ripening tomatoes in order to extend your tomato crop harvest. Temperatures over 95 F. (35 C.) will not allow tomatoes to form their red pigments. While they will rapidly ripen, even too rapidly, they end up a yellowish-orange hue. So, can you slow down the ripening of tomatoes? Yes, indeed.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Tomato Plant Ripening: Can You Slow Down The Ripening Of Tomatoes? http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/slow-down-tomato-ripening.htm

And

Tomato Patch: Learning by Picking at "Breaker Stage"

Nothing is wrong with letting tomatoes ripen on the vine.

From the time that a tomato reaches its mature stage until it is fully ripe, will require time. So that time can be spent on the vine or on the counter, in the basement.

Ripening process is a bio-chemical change withing most (if not all ) fruits. It is the same with melons, pear, apple, pepper. I buy those rock hard greenish pears from time to time. I let them sit in my wicker basket for about a week. Then they are ripe, sweet and juicy. I have seen a lot of green Serrano and Jalapeno turn red on the counter too. But the key is "Maturity".

Sey

Day three...

That is a nice time line demo , nanelle.

It shows the magic how it happens so perfectly .

What is more you beat the birds, cats, rats rabbits, squirrels and the rest of the gang out there.

Sey

While a reason for picking a tomato before it gets red might be to keep animals from eating them, it turns out that rodents, at least, are red-green color blind. They can't distinguish red from green. Maybe they can tell ripe tomatoes by the smell? Of course, they're just more likely to eat them if the tomatoes are out there longer. But clearly ripe tomatoes are more fragile than green ones, so having them on the vine can be risky from other perspectives.

I guess that is why I find green tomatoes occasionally laying on the ground next to my tomato bed. The squirrels don't even take a bite. At least the coons have opposable thumbs so they can squeeze them first to tell if they are ripe :-).

The rodents around here can definately tell when a tomato is ripe or not. They never take green ones from me... always the ripe ones.