The Best Way To Ripen The Green Tomatoes In Your Garden

Nothing tastes better than a fresh tomato from the vine, but a specimen that won't ripen can signal a problem with the plant or its growing conditions. Perhaps a heat wave has halted the ripening process, or you've overfertilized, encouraging the growth of the plant over the production of fruit. It could be that there are too many tomatoes on the plant and it can't ripen them all fast enough. Whatever the case, there is one solution you can use to kickstart the ripening process and all you need is an item you likely already have in your kitchen: a paper bag. 

Using a paper bag is the best way to ripen a green or yellow tomato from your garden. Tomatoes are what's known as a climacteric fruit, meaning they can ripen after harvest. Plus, these fruits emit ethylene gas when they ripen, but it's not just a byproduct of ripening. That gas is also a chemical trigger for other fruits, telling them it's time to get ripe! The paper bag method works by concentrating the gases emitted by a tomato during the ripening process, prompting other fruits in the vicinity to turn from green to yellow to juicy red and ready to eat.

Some people think that vine-ripened tomatoes taste better than those ripened indoors, but this is a myth. Knowing how to properly ripen the fruit off the vine is one of the handiest hacks to remember when growing tomatoes, and no matter when you harvest your fruit, you're sure to enjoy a great-tasting tomato with the right tactics. 

The paper bag method is a perfect approach in this scenario, and it often works by simply putting the unripe tomatoes into the bag. But, if you want to speed up the process, you can add a ripe banana as well. Like tomatoes, bananas are also climacteric fruits, meaning they can ripen once they're removed from the plant,  and they emit ethylene when they do. Don't have a banana on hand? In a pinch, an apple will also work.

Extreme temperatures make it harder for fruit to ripen on the vine, which may be why your tomatoes aren't red yet. When you bring your unripe tomatoes inside to ripen them in a bag, place them in a room that's slightly warmer in late fall. If you're ripening during a heat wave, opt for a room that's a bit cooler than the outdoors. Aim for 70 to 75 degrees in either case. Similarly, you can uproot entire plants from your garden or bring potted tomato plants inside to finish out the growing season in a temperature-controlled environment.

You'll know your tomatoes are ready to eat based on their color, texture and aroma. Under normal conditions, it can take around six to eight weeks for these fruits to ripen on the vine. In a paper bag, expect to wait between several days to around two weeks, depending on how far along they were when harvested. Keep in mind that the tomato variety also plays a part. Many cherry tomato varieties, for example, turn bright red when ripe, but heirloom tomatoes vary wildly in color and won't appear to ripen in the same way.

Of course, there are ways to support your tomato plants and ripen fruit on the vine naturally before harvest. Pruning can help your tomato plants to focus their energy on ripening vs. creating new growth. Removing the uppermost, new growth will encourage the plant to instead focus on the ripening process. In fact, that's why cutting the top off your tomato plants is the best hack. 

Similarly, your plant could be overwhelmed with too many fruits and be unable to ripen all of them. You can remove some of your green tomatoes, particularly smaller ones, and either discard them or try ripening them indoors. You should notice the remaining fruit changing colors after you've thinned them out.