Tomatoes

Select tomatoes only from strong healthy vines. Pick only those tomatoes that do not have disease or insect damage. Take off the stems so that they wont puncture each other. Gently wash and allow the fruit to air dry. Ripe tomatoes will keep in a refrigerator for a week but will lose their flavor. Tomatoes stored at 65-70 degrees will take about 2 weeks to ripen. Temperatures below 50 degrees will slow the ripening process and will create poorer quality of tomatoes. Tomatoes should have red coloring, plump, smooth skins, and be heavy for their size. When fully ripe they will be soft to the touch.

Mature green tomatoes are those with a glossy, whitish green color with a mature size to them. Green tomatoes will not turn red no matter how long you let them sit. They will get a yellow blush to the skin and soft to the touch. Sometimes it is easier to tell if you look at pictures of ripened green tomatoes. If set in a sunny windowsill, green tomatoes ripen better.

Yellow tomatoes are low-acid tomatoes that still retain their unique tomato flavor and texture. The yellow tomato is a deep, bright yellow color like a school bus. It is usually medium to large, round, and very smoothly shaped, with a thin skin, thick meat, and solid seed pockets. The juice is very thick. They will not ripen in the windowsill. You will want to put them on the counter stem side up away from the stove or dishwasher.