How Do You Ripen Green Tomatoes In The Fall?
The first frost of fall will call the end of your homegrown tomato season; yet the tomato plants are usually loaded with fruit. Fortunately, you can harvest and ripen the green tomatoes with this simple method and enjoy your tomatoes for several more weeks. When the first frost is predicted, harvest all the developed fruits. Discard any blighted or cracked tomatoes and forgo the smaller undeveloped fruits. Gently arrange in a box or bin, no more than two deep. Place an apple in the bin. Apples emit ethylene gas, which will hasten the tomato ripening process. Commercial tomato growers use ethylene gas to ripen grocery store tomatoes. Cover loosely with newspaper or a grocery bag. This will help keep the ethylene gas in the bin. Do not use plastic as this will encourage mold. Place the bin out of the sunlight in a normal room temperature above 50 degrees. Tomatoes stored in a cool basement, root cellar, or porch will ripen slower than if placed in a warmer room. Check daily and remove an
