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how to ripen tomatoes once off the plant

TraTra Posts: 38
in Fruit & veg

I have been growing garden pearl cherry tomatoes - trailing/tumbling variety, in large pots - they have fruited very well but are still greenish - however, yesterday I accidentally  broke off one of the stems with a lot of greeny toms still on - they look lovely and are in great condition but not that the stem is off the plant is there a way in which I can turn these red at home?

I currently have them in  a bowl in a sunny spot!

Any ideas most welcome as there's a good bowl full of tomatoes!

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Posts

  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    As instucted on YT I put some in a paper bag with a banana in a dark part of the kitchen two weeks ago. Unfortunately they are still green. Hopefully someone will come up with a plan.
    SW Scotland
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    edited August 2018
    Was that a banana or just the skin? In the greenhouse I have had to resort to skins to get them ripening, so maybe eat a banana and try just the skin. Hope this helps. Btw yes I have started them ripening in the greenhouse, took two days after waiting five weeks.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    If they're still completely green they may not ripen.
    Once the unripe green colour changes, usually gets a bit paler first, then you're in with a chance.
    Ideally a temp of around 25c should get them moving. Light doesn't help.
    A ripe banana releases ethylene (the smell we associate with bananas) and will help the ripening of your toms

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    And if the banana skin doesn't work, fried green tomatoes are very nice  :)
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    I ate the banana, but like Tra, I had a broken vine with very green tomatoes. Time will tell, but Pete is probably right. I don't think I'd like fried green tomatoes and I really did not like the banana either.
    SW Scotland
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    I have never grown tomatoes,  but have strong memories of my father putting green tomatoes on the windowsills to ripen.  Don't know if they had started to ripen beforehand though. 
    West Yorkshire
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Fried green tomatoes are worth trying ... sprinkle with just a little muscavado sugar and some curry powder as they’re cooking ... delicious 😋 great with sausages and fried onions 👨‍🍳

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Green tomato chutney maybe @Purplerain. It's a bit sour compared to red but mixed red and green work quite well.😁
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    Put them in a dish with a couple of red tomatoes, I never pick the first tomato that ripens as it helps the others to ripen.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Green tomato chutney is the business, I've eaten it but never made it.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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