How to Ripen Tomatoes

With the start of fall, a lot of garden owners want to make the best use of the harvest in their gardens. There may be green tomatoes left on the vine during the start of fall. You have one of two choices-either to leave the tomatoes on the vine and risk the frost, or pick the tomatoes and ripen them yourself. There are different methods which this can be accomplished. Here's how you can do it.

The first step to do is segregate the tomatoes according to their size and maturity. Also keep the bruised and damaged ones aside. The segregation according to the size and maturity helps to ripen the tomatoes equally and you do not lose on the yield.

Once the tomatoes have been segregated, remove the stems from the tomatoes and clean them with a dry cotton cloth.

Take a cardboard box and line the base with old newspaper. Place a layer of tomatoes on the newspaper and cover with more paper. If you have a lot of tomatoes, then place another thick layer of newspaper on the tomatoes and then place another layer of tomatoes.

If possible, place the box in a humid room, but away from sunlight. The total amount of time will depend on the size of the tomatoes, how green were they, and the temperature they are currently placed in. It is best to check the tomatoes every day to make sure the tomatoes do not overripe.

Take a plastic bag and make small holes in it using a needle. If you do not make holes in the plastic bag, the chances of the tomatoes rotting are very high. Depending on the size of the plastic bag, put in the tomatoes. Place the plastic bag in a semi-humid area, but away from sunlight.

If the quantity of green tomatoes is less, you can make use of a paper bag instead of a plastic bag. Close the bag with a clamp and place it in a semi-humid area, again away from sunlight.

These were a few natural ways to ripen the tomatoes. I hope this Story proves to be of help to you. Last but not the least, make sure you check the tomatoes every day, so that they do not over ripen and go bad.