How to make your tomatoes turn red?
10.3 years ago tomato
While going searching my logs I noticed the query in the topic. My first response, in my sarcastic mind was, “Uh red paint, maybe a red permanent marker?” After some more serious thought I did get some more helpful ideas.
Don’t be greedy: I know it is hard when you want to get as many delicious tomatoes as possible and you let your plants go wild producing as many fruit as possible but unfortunately you hit the end of your growing season with 70% of those tomatoes to never to become ripe before the first frost. You can prevent this by pinching off any suckers that are not part of the main vein of the plant. Sure you may not get as many fruits but your plant can spent more of its energy getting that fruit red instead of growing more green tomatoes to throw in the compost.
Be light on the nitrogen: Do not give your plants too much nitrogen during its growth period. You will get a big beautiful plant, but unfortunately fruit will bear too late in the season to mature into ripe red tomatoes.
Get supermarket quality tomatoes from your garden: Of course tomatoes ripened on the vine will have the better taste but when your season runs out and your tomatoes are still green what can you do? One option is to take any flawless tomatoes (no bruises, no cracks) place them very gently in a cardboard box padded on bottom with newspaper and place in a cool humid location. You may also add a ripe banana to speed up the process by adding a little extra ethylene. If you are luck in a couple/few weeks you should have some red tomatoes.
Just eat the green tomatoes: If all else fails there is always the option of breading them with some bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and fry up until golden. There is also the green salsa option which I am planning on trying out this year…ok I may have been a little “greedy” this year.
Tags: cheap, compost, outdoor plants, pepper plants, salsa garden, tomato plants, vegetables
16.2 years ago
My mom used to put tomatoes in a paper bag, the theory being the methane produced by the tomato will green up or ripen the tomato.
15.9 years ago
This summer, I grew a tomato plant that the day before the first big frost had about 20 green tomatoes. I promptly pulled them all off and into a paper bag to see what would happen and after about two weeks they all were red and ready to eat. It was a nice treat to have garden grown tomatoes well into November.
15.3 years ago
Thanks for sharing the tips to make your tomatoes turn red. It was nice going through it. Keep it up the good work.
15 years ago
ohh grate thank you for shearing tomatoes tips i agree with you.. Florist
15 years ago
ohh grate thank you for shearing tomatoes tips i agree with you.. Florist
12.2 years ago
Is it necessary to close the box with the green tomatoes and banana?
10.3 years ago
I have a lot of green tomatoes every year. I spread them out in foil trays, with newspaper under them and a sheet of newspaper above them, and keep them on shelves in the cool basement. I check twice a week and take the almost ripe ones up to the kitchen. My basement tomato harvest lasts up to three months. In January or February, a “basement” tomato still beats those in the store for flavor.
9.7 years ago
I have another recipe to eat the small green tomatoes :you make a white vinegar sauce like the one for the gerkins. You put your tomatoes in a jar and add white vinegar,rosemary, laurel, a piece of sugar. Close the jar and then test it around 4/5 months after. If it is to much with vinegar add sugar.