asane

How to Ripe Green Tomatoes, According to Gardening Experts

Online Niel October 25, 2024

Did you have an impressive crop of tomatoes this summer, but are you confused as to why the green fruit isn’t turning red? You’re not alone, which is why we spoke to gardening experts to find out the best ways to ripen tomatoes.

May you enjoy vegetable gardening as a beginner or have been doing for years, sometimes our cultures can surprise us and act out of character. With the seasonal tomato harvest, you may have discovered that your fruit is not ripening as it should.

Before you panic that you’re surrounded by green fruit, according to experts, there are a few things you can do to fix it and prevent it from happening next harvest.

How to roast green tomatoes

Apart from knowing how to prune your tomato plantsa big part of their growth and success is the ripening process. While many tomatoes will probably ripen when growing on the stem, it is more common for gardeners to remove the fruit when it is still green and ripen it indoors. But what happens when they don’t seem to turn red?

“Tomatoes will often ripen quickly if kept in a light, warm environment, and it’s best to leave the fruit on the vine as long as possible for the best flavor. However, if you’ve tried everything to ripen the fruit on the vine, you can try ripening it indoors,” says Graham Smith MCIHort, horticultural expert at LBS Horticulture.

Graham Smith MChort

Graham has extensive knowledge of the horticultural and gardening industries and prides himself on using this to help gardeners of all abilities create their perfect outdoor space.

1. Move the plant indoors

picture of a woman replanting the tomato plant indoors

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the same way, there is tender plants to bring indoors in autumnbringing in the tomatoes will help with the baking process.

Graham says, “Move your tomato plant indoors to allow the fruit to ripen on the vine, and this can extend the life of the plant as it wouldn’t survive outside in cold weather.”

It’s best to know what plants to bring inside or under cover way to protect them from freezing in winter.

2. Leave on the kitchen counters

After you’ve done it you’ve organized your kitchen counters you should have plenty of free space, which is exactly what you need for ripening tomatoes.

“Unripe tomatoes that are left on the kitchen counter will gradually ripen on their own. They should be stored at room temperature, with the stems intact and stem-side down,” advises Graham.

You might be tempted to pick the tomatoes off the stems before bringing them in, but it’s the stem that helps encourage the ripening process, so remember to cut one branch at a time.

3. Use a paper bag

picture of green tomatoes in paper bag

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Similar to some of the best expert cleaning hacksfinding solutions to household problems like green tomatoes can often be a bit unique.

“The trick I always use is to put unripe tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple or banana,” says Georgina O’Grady, managing director at Evergreen Direct.

“These fruits give off ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Some people suggest using newspaper, but I’d go with a paper bag for better airflow and more even baking.”

Georgina O’Grady

Georgina is a consummate professional in interior and exterior design using plants, trees and green walls. Georgina is currently Managing Director at Evergreen Direct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will green tomatoes ripen after being picked?

If you rushed the process and took the tomatoes, maybe trying to keep up with you. successive plantingthen it’s not the end of the world.

“Green tomatoes will ripen after they’ve been picked, but you should cut a tomato first to check that it won’t start to rot before it can properly ripen,” says Graham.

To check if they can be roasted properly, he says to pick a medium-sized tomato from the pepper you want to roast and cut it in half.

Graham explains, “If the gel-like material that holds the seeds is still liquid and the seeds move when you cut the fruit, tomatoes that are this size and larger will ripen. However, if the gel around the seeds is not yet loose enough. to allow the seeds to move away from the knife blade, then this may indicate that the tomatoes may begin to rot before ripening.”

Do green tomatoes ripen on the windowsill?

picture of tomatoes in bowl on windowsill

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You may have heard that the windowsill trick is a easy gardening tip but most experts would caution against this. In fact, they say it’s best to avoid windowsills and direct sunlight altogether.

“Green tomatoes can be ripened after they’ve been picked, but they need to be at the ‘ripe green’ stage, where they have some color starting at the end of the bloom. A lot of people think you have to stick them on a windowsill, but direct sunlight isn’t really necessary and can lead to uneven baking,” Georgina explains.

Instead, she says that simply putting them in a warm place works much better, and otherwise, tossing them in the fruit bowl makes things go faster.

What does it mean if green tomatoes don’t ripen?

You can have it all essential gardening tools and all the best gardening knowledge, but sometimes your plants just won’t behave. So if you’re green tomatoes don’t ripen no matter what you do, then that’s normal.

Georgina says: “If they just don’t ripen, it could be because they were picked too early or exposed to colder temperatures. Check the temperature, make sure they’re warm enough and be patient – it’s all about giving them the right environment.”

If you’ve checked as Graham recommended and there’s no hope of them ripening, we advise you to either try some green tomato recipes or simply compost them to enrich your soil for next year’s batch.

Buy tomato care products

Useful paper bags

Brown Stringed Kraft Paper Food Bags 200 Pcs

Food feeding

Levington Tomorite tomato concentrate feed

Handy gloves

Comfortable leather gardening gloves

Graham also cautions against over-fertilizing tomato plants when growing them, as this can provide too much nitrogen that will hinder their ripening process. Certainly not use coffee grounds on themthere are plants that do better with the nitrogen and potassium found in the soil.

Association-anemone

Association-anemone

How to Ripe Green Tomatoes, According to Gardening Experts

Online Niel

Army jawan killed in accidental fire in Chanapora

Man arrested at US Capitol with flashlight and flare gun

Jennifer Lopez leaves event after being asked about Diddy’s allegations: report

How to Fix Blacks Ops 6 Crash on PC, PS5, PS4 and Xbox

How to Ripe Green Tomatoes, According to Gardening Experts

Online Niel

You Might Also Like

Army jawan killed in accidental fire in Chanapora

Man arrested at US Capitol with flashlight and flare gun

Jennifer Lopez leaves event after being asked about Diddy’s allegations: report

How to Fix Blacks Ops 6 Crash on PC, PS5, PS4 and Xbox