Green tomatoes - Ask Extension
Should I be picking them and ripen indoors yet? The whole season was bad for them. Do I use paper bags indoors or on a sunny window sill ?Wait do we s...
Knowledgebase
Green tomatoes #427500
Asked September 18, 2017, 7:53 PM EDT
Should I be picking them and ripen indoors yet? The whole season was bad for them. Do I use paper bags indoors or on a sunny window sill ?Wait do we still get those kinda of window sills here? Lol Laura
September 18th Rainy Monday
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
When temperatures fall below 50 degrees, tomatoes will ripen better indoors than outdoors. Unfortunately, to get full flavor, tomatoes should be picked as they are just starting to turn red. Right now, our temperatures are warm enough to just leave them on the vine. That will change soon. Here is a good reference:
http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00024.pdf/
As for ripening, wrap individually in newspaper, store in a single layer, not touching, in a cool (but above 50 degrees) place, and check frequently. Wrapping them traps the ethylene gas they give off which speeds ripening. Warmer temperatures also speed ripening. So you have some control over how fast they ripen. Check here:
https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/10/how-to-ripen-green-tomatoes-indoors-4/
http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00024.pdf/
As for ripening, wrap individually in newspaper, store in a single layer, not touching, in a cool (but above 50 degrees) place, and check frequently. Wrapping them traps the ethylene gas they give off which speeds ripening. Warmer temperatures also speed ripening. So you have some control over how fast they ripen. Check here:
https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/10/how-to-ripen-green-tomatoes-indoors-4/
