How long will it take for my tomatoes to ripen if I re move them from?

Frank
by Frank
  4 answers
  • Depends on size. Place on a sunny windowsill. Or make fried green tomatoes or green tomato pie!

    • See 1 previous
    • See Mogie's response. That might work for you. I am in Zone 9, still in the 80's and my plants are still going strong and looks like I will get tomatoes well into November. Any that are still green at that time, I pull off and set in one of my kitchen windows. Chances are I will roast them up and use pretty quickly.

  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 07, 2018

    Tomatoes that have been given a head start on the vine have the best chance of ripening once picked. Give green tomatoes a little squeeze. If they give a little, the ripening process is already underway. Better still, tomatoes already showing signs of reddening are good candidates for post-pick ripening. Skip fruit that is marred or showing signs of decay. No amount of indoor ripening will improve them.

    Left on the countertop, tomatoes will produce ethylene on their own and ripen eventually. Depending on the variety and how ripe they were when picked, the process can take several weeks. With a little help, though, ripe, red tomatoes are right around the corner.

    Tomatoes aren’t the only fruit cranking out ethylene. Storing green tomatoes with other ethylene producers can speed up the ripening process considerably. Apples are a good choice, but bananas are ethylene producing powerhouses.

    Select a banana that is yellow, but still shows some green at the ends. Barely green bananas are in their ethylene producing prime and the gas they release can reduce the time it takes to ripen picked tomatoes by days or even weeks.

    Wash tomatoes and allow to dry completely before storing. For just a few tomatoes, place them in a paper bag with a banana and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Avoid high humidity, which can lead to decay or fruit fly issues. Larger quantities can be placed in a cardboard box instead of a bag. Leave a little space between tomatoes to improve circulation and speed up the ripening process. If dealing with an especially large harvest of green tomatoes, wrap each tomato in paper or place a few sheets of newspaper between layers to limit contact.

    Check on tomatoes daily and remove any showing signs of mold or disease. Once ripened, tomatoes should be used within a week for best flavor.

  • Kristin McComb Kristin McComb on Oct 07, 2018

    Wrap each tomato in newspaper and put them in a basket in a cool place. Check every couple of days, they ripen beautifully !

  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Oct 07, 2018

    Not long if you place them in a brown paper lunch bag. Close it up tight and leave it in a cool place and the gases that are trapped will ripen the tomatoes fast.