When To Harvest Green Tomatoes
We knew this year needed to be different, because in years passed we’ve lost many tomatoes before they were fully ripened.
Some we lost to the animals, especially our silly dogs… and if not the animals, we lost fruit due to the frost, even if we covered them well while they were still on the vine.
Because the Back to Eden method is so amazing, we still had a TON of green tomatoes on the vine in mid-November.
So, with the day before the first frost in our area was the weekend before Thanksgiving (I know, Texas weather is a lot later than other areas!), we knew we needed to harvest them, but I was a little worried about whether they would ripen well inside.
After a bit of research I felt I’d be able to make it work, so we took the plunge and harvested all of our green tomatoes!
Tip: I found that if the tomatoes are a shiny then they are mature enough to harvest!
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Inside
Once you get your green tomatoes inside the steps for ripening them is fairly simple.
Step One
Don’t wash them! Leave all that dirt and grime all over the tomatoes. It will help protect them as they ripen. You can wash them right before eating.
Step Two
Place them in a single layer (or as close to it as you can get). I placed mine on two pizza pans and used a couple of empty canning jars to make a tower.
Since we live in an 800 square foot house, saving space is a must!
Step Three
Place your tomatoes in indirect sunlight, in a warm (but not hot) area of the house. For me, the kitchen counter was the perfect spot!
We knew this year needed to be different, because in years passed we’ve lost many tomatoes before they were fully ripened.
Some we lost to the animals, especially our silly dogs… and if not the animals, we lost fruit due to the frost, even if we covered them well while they were still on the vine.
Because the Back to Eden method is so amazing, we still had a TON of green tomatoes on the vine in mid-November.
So, with the day before the first frost in our area was the weekend before Thanksgiving (I know, Texas weather is a lot later than other areas!), we knew we needed to harvest them, but I was a little worried about whether they would ripen well inside.
After a bit of research I felt I’d be able to make it work, so we took the plunge and harvested all of our green tomatoes!
Tip: I found that if the tomatoes are a shiny then they are mature enough to harvest!
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Inside
Once you get your green tomatoes inside the steps for ripening them is fairly simple.
Step One
Don’t wash them! Leave all that dirt and grime all over the tomatoes. It will help protect them as they ripen. You can wash them right before eating.
Step Two
Place them in a single layer (or as close to it as you can get). I placed mine on two pizza pans and used a couple of empty canning jars to make a tower.
Since we live in an 800 square foot house, saving space is a must!
Step Three
Place your tomatoes in indirect sunlight, in a warm (but not hot) area of the house. For me, the kitchen counter was the perfect spot!