When Tomatoes Ripen

When does one know when a tomato is ripe? This can be a bit tricky because tomatoes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They may be determinate, meaning they set fruit and ripen all at once, or indeterminate varieties that ripen throughout the season. Keeping records on the vegetables you plant is an ideal way to determine roughly when they should be ripening. Most tomato seedlings bear fruit between 60 to 85 days. Generally speaking, tomatoes are ripe when they have a uniform, glossy color and have a slight "give" when you gently squeeze them. If they are still firm, they haven't sufficiently ripened yet.

Particularly for indeterminate species, as they near their harvesting date, they should be checked daily. If you do mistakenly pick some too soon, many varieties of tomatoes will continue to ripen after being picked. Just set them on a sunny windowsill until they reach the desired state. When cold and frosts threaten at the end of the season, you can pick green tomatoes that have sufficiently ripened and bring them indoors. You can force them to ripen early by reducing the amount of water they receive, starting in mid-August. By mid-September, stop watering them completely.

If they can still be salvaged, they should have a faint blush of color near the bottom. These should be washed, air-dried and wrapped individually in newspaper. Gently place them in a box and store it in a cool, dark place. Check every few days for ripeness. There are also a great many recipes that use green tomatoes.