Placing green tomatoes with already-ripe fruit encourages faster ripening.
While most tomatoes ripen best on the vine, it's not always possible to let them stay there. As cool weather approaches, tomato growers may find their vines covered in full-sized green tomatoes that won't ripen before the first frost. Instead of making fried green tomatoes or letting the fruit freeze solid, consider picking these green tomatoes early and ripening them indoors.
Picking
Unripe tomatoes won't fall off the vine like fully ripe fruit. Pick unripe tomatoes by snipping them off the vine, leaving a very short stem. Avoid long stems, which can puncture other tomatoes. Never pull the stem out of the green tomato, since this invites decay.
Ripening
Sort immature tomatoes by their color to encourage simultaneous ripening. Tomatoes may be entirely green, slightly pink, entirely pink or nearly ripe. Place each fruit in a shallow box or thick bed of straw in a location between 55 and 70 degrees, as these conditions encourage faster ripening. Wrap tomatoes individually or place newspaper between them to keep any spoiled tomatoes from contaminating the others. Keep all fruit in the dark until ripe.
Time Frame
According to Oregon State University, green tomatoes take between three and four weeks to ripen fully. Cooler temperatures tend to slow ripening. Check the tomatoes every few days to remove spoiled fruit or fully ripe tomatoes. To speed up ripening, place an already-ripe tomato or banana in an enclosed container with the green fruit. To slow down ripening, remove all ripe fruit immediately as it becomes edible. This prevents it from affecting other tomatoes.
Considerations
Not all green tomatoes will ripen after picking. Indoor ripening only works on tomatoes that have reached the mature green stage. These fruits will have grown to full size and have a yellowish interior and sticky or jelly-like substances surrounding the seeds. Some mature green tomatoes develop a pinkish or reddish tint close to the blossom end. If the green tomato has soft seeds or has not yet produced jelly-like pulp, it won't ripen off the vine. Can or cook these fruits.
Tags: green tomatoes, faster ripening, fully ripe, green tomato, mature green, other tomatoes
