Guide on Accelerating Tomato Ripeness Before Autumn's Arrival - Saving Unripe Tomatoes
Green tomatoes, while not yet ready for eating raw, can be used in a variety of delicious dishes. From fried green tomatoes to tangy snacks, green tomato salsa, jam, and hot sauce, these firm and tart fruits are versatile in the kitchen.
If you're growing tomatoes and find that they're not ripening as quickly as you'd like, there are several methods to speed up the process. On the vine, you can prune the plant to increase ethylene gas exposure, reduce watering, and use methods to trap ethylene near the tomatoes. This could involve placing fallen apples (which produce ethylene) near your plants or loosely tying plastic bags with ventilation around tomato clusters for a day or two. However, it's crucial to avoid excessive heat buildup under bags to prevent cooking the fruit[1].
Alternatively, if you need to ripen unripe green tomatoes off the vine, placing them in a paper bag, ideally with a ripe banana or apple (both ethylene producers), in a warm but not hot room (around 70-75°F) works well[2][4]. This traps ethylene and warms the tomatoes slightly, speeding the ripening process. You can also bring potted plants indoors to continue ripening in a controlled temperature[2].
When it comes to using unripe green tomatoes in cooking, common practices include frying green tomatoes, making green tomato chutney or salsa, or pickling them. These methods take advantage of the firm texture and tart flavor of green tomatoes[3].
In addition to these techniques, feeding tomato plants with liquid fertiliser with potassium every 10-14 days can stimulate ripening. Closing greenhouses at night can also help keep heat inside and aid in ripening, but this fact has been mentioned earlier.
It's important to act in time with green tomatoes, as they should be picked and ripened indoors if the daytime temperature drops below 13°C, as growth and ripening almost stop[2]. Remove shading cloth from greenhouses and clean the glass to let in more sunlight. Check green tomatoes every day to remove ripe ones in time.
Removing new flowers from tomato plants can help them plump up and turn red faster. Thin out leaves that shade the fruit to allow more sunlight to reach the tomatoes. Leaving unripe and light green fruits on the windowsill or in a paper bag can help them ripen faster due to the release of ethylene (from added bananas or apples).
However, it's best to avoid putting green tomatoes in the fridge as they lose flavor and stop developing. While August still allows, it's beneficial to take care of the tomatoes as they will reward you with their flavor.
For those who prefer a crispy, fried treat, here's a simple recipe for fried green tomatoes: Slice the tomatoes, coat them in flour with salt and pepper, then in egg and breadcrumbs (optionally with cornmeal), and fry until crispy.
References:
[1] University of Illinois Extension. (2020). Ripening Tomatoes. Retrieved from https://extension.illinois.edu/horticulture/yard-garden/vegetables/ripening-tomatoes/
[2] National Gardening Association. (n.d.). Ripening Green Tomatoes. Retrieved from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/ripening-green-tomatoes.htm
[3] Southern Living. (n.d.). 10 Ways to Use Green Tomatoes. Retrieved from https://www.southernliving.com/food/recipes/green-tomato-recipes/
[4] Fine Gardening. (2020). Ripening Green Tomatoes. Retrieved from https://www.finegardening.com/article/ripened-green-tomatoes
- To speed up the ripening process of green tomatoes at home, consider placing them in a paper bag along with a ripe banana or apple, and store the bag in a warm room.
- If you're growing tomatoes and want to use unripe green tomatoes in lifestyle and home-and-garden projects like gardening and cooking, methodically remove new flowers, thin out shading leaves, and leave light green fruits on windowsills or in paper bags for faster ripening due to the release of ethylene.
