If autumn is approaching, but not all the tomatoes in your garden are ripe, don't worry! There is a solution. You can help them mature and eat them beyond the end of the harvest season. If the plants are in pots, move them indoors to keep them warm. If not, pick the tomatoes and put them in a bag or box. The high concentration of ethylene, the gas that promotes ripening, will work in your favor. Alternatively, you can weed the plant out of the ground and hang it indoors in reverse until the tomatoes are ripe to make sure they taste the best possible.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Ripen the Tomatoes on the Plant
Step 1. Transfer the potted plants inside the house and leave them in direct sunlight
When autumn comes and the temperatures drop, the tomatoes stop ripening. If the days are cold and the plants are in pots, the simplest solution is to bring them indoors where the air is warmer. Place the pots near a window so that the plants are exposed to sunlight. The milder temperature and sunlight will promote fruit ripening. Harvest the tomatoes from the plant when they are red and ripe.
If possible, keep the tomato plants at a temperature around 21 ° C; they will grow more luxuriantly
Step 2. Cover outdoor plants at night using garden blankets or tarpaulins
If the plants are not in pots and summer is coming to an end, they need to be weeded out or covered until the tomatoes are ripe. Use a plant blanket or tarp to get the tomatoes to ripen faster before autumn begins. Cover the plants completely and make sure there are no exposed parts. Check them every day and harvest the tomatoes as they ripen.
- You can purchase this type of plant protection sheet at a garden supply store or even online. They have the function of keeping the plants warm and are the ideal choice for your tomatoes.
- Remove the cover during the day so that the plants can receive sunlight.
- This method is suitable for protecting plants even in the event of an early frost if you expect the weather to return mild afterwards.
Step 3. Pull up the plants, including the roots, and move them indoors
If the weather has changed permanently, but the tomatoes are not yet ripe, uproot the plants from the ground and bring them indoors so the ripening process can continue. Dig around the roots with a garden shovel, then remove the plant from the soil being careful not to damage them.
- Shake the roots to free them from the soil so you won't soil the interior surfaces of the house.
- If during the operations some tomatoes should come off the plant, put them in a box or bag to let them ripen.
Step 4. Hang the tomato plants in the cellar or basement
These places are particularly suitable for tomatoes to ripen while still attached to the plant. There are many ways to hang the plants upside down, choose the one that suits you best and keep the tomatoes monitored until they are ripe and ready to be harvested.
- The simplest method is to drive a nail into a ceiling beam and hang the plants upside down using rope or twine.
- Another option is to make a hole in the bottom of a bucket, feed the plant through it, and hang the bucket from the ceiling.
- Place a towel or sheet under the plant to collect the leaves and soil.
Method 2 of 2: Ripen Tomatoes in a Bag or Box
Step 1. Harvest tomatoes if they have not yet ripened at the end of the harvest season
If the outside temperature is getting colder, remove the green tomatoes from the plant and bring them indoors where they can ripen in the heat. Be careful not to damage them when you harvest them and discard any that are bruised or attacked by insects as they would not be able to mature.
Leave the stem attached to the tomatoes as it will help them ripen faster
Step 2. Wash and dry the tomatoes
Wash them carefully to remove any mold spores and insects that could damage the fruit during the ripening process. Wash one tomato at a time under cold running water, then dry them with a clean cloth.
You need to make sure the tomatoes are completely dry, as mold tends to proliferate in humid environments
Step 3. Put the tomatoes in a paper bag or cardboard box
Choose the most suitable container based on the number of tomatoes. If they are few, you can use a paper bag, if there are many it is better to use a cardboard box so that they have more space. Arrange them so they don't touch each other.
If necessary, use more than one box or more than one bag. If you put too many tomatoes in a single container, the amount of ethylene (the gas that promotes ripening) will be excessive
Step 4. Add a still green banana to the ends
Bananas release ethylene, the gas that triggers the fruit ripening process. Tomatoes also produce ethylene, but bananas produce much more, so the ripening process speeds up.
- Once ripe bananas stop producing ethylene, so use one that is still slightly unripe - you can recognize it by the fact that it has green tips.
- Add a banana to each box or bag.
Step 5. Seal the bag or box
Tomatoes must be in an environment filled with ethylene to ripen properly. Seal the box or bag to trap the gas so the tomatoes absorb as much of it as possible. If you used a paper bag, roll up the edges to seal it. If you have chosen to use a box, seal it with masking tape.
Do not close the container tightly. Every day you will have to check if the tomatoes are ripening correctly and eventually you will have to discard the rotten or moldy ones
Step 6. Check the tomatoes daily
Open the container once a day to check how far the tomatoes are ripening. Check them one at a time and make sure there are no spots (brown or black) on the peel, indicating that the fruit is starting to rot. Also check that mold is not forming. If necessary, throw away any tomatoes that are beginning to rot or mold.
Step 7. Remove the ripe tomatoes from the container
When the tomatoes turn red, they are ripe and ready to use. Remove them from the box and eat them however you like.
- In a warm environment, tomatoes ripen faster. If you keep them in a place where the temperature is around 20 ° C, they should mature within a couple of weeks; in a colder environment it may take up to a month.
- Store ripe tomatoes on your kitchen windowsill, exposed to direct sunlight, and eat them within a week to prevent them from losing their freshness and flavor.
Advice
- Try to eat tomatoes as soon as possible when they are ripe. As the days go by, they will lose their freshness and flavor, even if you keep them in the refrigerator.
- A few weeks before the cold sets in, harvest the tomatoes that are still completely green, so that the plant can devote all its energy to the ripening ones.
