Summer is coming to an end and hobby gardeners are faced with a challenge. Tomato plants are still full of green fruit that will not ripen further due to the short days and cool autumn temperatures. But don’t worry. There are a few tried and tested methods to ensure that green tomatoes continue to ripen and retain their sweetness and rich flavor even after the summer sun disappears.
Harvest and ripen
When the sun is barely shining or the weather is cool, you should pick the unripe tomatoes and bring them home to ripen them. You can do this by placing the green tomatoes in a paper bag or wooden box, or wrapping them in newspaper, and storing them in a room as warm as possible (ideally 18-20 degrees). The fruit does not need light to ripen. Direct sunlight can be harmful. After a few days, the tomatoes should have turned red.
Ethylene, a ripening gas, plays an important role in ripening. Tomatoes produce this substance themselves and release it into the environment. To speed up the process, you can add apples to the tomatoes. They also release ethylene. The ripening process should be completed after three weeks at the latest.
When do tomatoes ripen?
You can’t tell if a tomato is fully ripe just by looking at its red color. There are also yellow, green, deep red, or orange tomato varieties. A good sign that the fruit is ripe is when you press it lightly and it starts to fade slightly.
Processing unripe tomatoes
Unripe green tomatoes can also be processed in other ways, such as in chutneys, sauces, and pestos. Fried or pickled green tomatoes are also delicious ways to use up the unripe harvest.
notification: This report is part of an automated service from the news agency field, which operates under strict journalistic rules. The AZ online editorial team does not edit or check it. Please send questions or comments to Feedback@az-muenchen.de.
