Discover How To Ripen Tomatoes The Right Way

By Mattie Knight


The tomato is largely grown in backyard gardens or containers and it belongs to the Solanaceae family. Its fruits normally get ripe on the plant in mid summer to late summer. This however depends on the variety. In a situation where a hard frost is likely to fall or the fruits have fallen from the plant before they get ripe, they can be placed in the right conditions for ripening. The following are tips on how to ripen tomatoes.

Temperature plays a major role in the ripening of fruits. The ripening process can be inhibited by cold temperatures. If the temperature lies outside the range of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 degrees Fahrenheit, they cannot produce their natural pigments. Timing is important for harvesting these fruits for indoor ripening. If you leave them under temperatures of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, they may end up decaying. Leaving a short piece of stem on the fruits can enhance their resistance to decay.

The other factor that affects the ripening process of fruits is light. When fruits are placed in a lot of light, their skin usually toughens. These fruits only ripen well when placed in a warm, shaded area. Just like apples and bananas, tomatoes usually release a gas referred to as ethylene. By using the natural ethylene gas produced by these fruits, the ripening process will be stimulated.

There are several ways through which you may capture the ethylene gas produced by tomatoes. One of these ways is to pull up the entire tomato plants and hang them in a warm place facing upside down. This strategy allows the fruits to ripen while remaining on the plant.

The other method of ripening the fruits is placing them in warm areas in cardboard boxes lined with newspapers to trap the ethylene gas. You can also place them along with a banana or apple in brown paper bags. The ethylene that bananas and apples produce will contribute to the ripening process. Check them regularly and replace the bananas or apples as needed.

Some of the things that determine if the tomatoes you ripen indoors will be flavorsome include the method you use to pick them and the way you handle them during the final stages of maturing. Picking these fruits before temperatures become low is vital. You should also pick only the fruits with appear shiny green or pink and molted green. Leave the smaller, fluted and white tomatoes on the vine because they do not fair well indoors.

Sorting the fruits is also essential. Separate the riper fruits so that they will not be bruised by the harder green. You should not overcrowd them because this can lead to bruising and decay. The ripening process should be complete within a period of one to two weeks.

After two weeks, you should separate the unripe fruits from the ripe ones. You should then store them in an area where the temperature is fifty five to sixty degrees Fahrenheit. If you make an effort to cure tomatoes properly, you will enjoy consuming them as flavorsome and juicy vegetables.




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