Ripening Green Tomatoes

Hello again,

I have picked a few Black Prince tomatoes while they are still green. I am doing this because it seems I have a worm or some creature poking holes in any near ripe tomatoes on this particular plant. I have some nice looking tomatoes coming along and I am dying to eat the Balck Prince tomatoes when they are ripe.

Here are some easy methods to ripen green tomatoes. Any of these methods are also helpful as the season gets colder to speed up the ripening process. Read the entire article at http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com/ripening-green-tomatoes.html.

"There are several different ways to ripen tomatos or ripening tomatoes in house, however if you are a novice gardener, you should follow simple guidelines for the first few times.

Mason jars - place one large banana in a wide mouth mason jar. Add up to four medium or six small green tomatoes in the jar. Bananas speed up the ripening process of tomato. Make sure the lid is on tight. Place the jar on the countertop next to the stove. Check once or twice a day to make sure that the banana has not turned rotten. If this happens, replace the banana with a fresh one until the tomatoes have ripened.

Cardboard box – To get good ripen tomatoes,take a medium sized cardboard box and line it with newspaper. Place the green tomatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the box. If you have several tomatoes that need to be ripened, you can layer them in the cardboard box. Make sure you place newspaper between the layers. Store in a cool place until ripened.

Plastic bags – plastic bags can be used in the same way as the cardboard box, however it is necessary to put holes in the bag for air circulation. It is important that you do not put too many tomatoes in the bag, three or four at most.
Paper bags – this method is great way to ripen green tomatoes if you only have a few tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a paper bag and a banana. Store it opened and store in a warm place.

When you use any of these methods, you will find that your tomatoes will ripen in less than two weeks. "

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
August 8, 2010