How To Store Green Tomatoes To Ripen In The Fall

Last updated on October 9th, 2024 at 05:44 pm

It’s officially Fall in Idaho, which means cooler temperatures and a lot of tomatoes to can and preserve at the end of the growing season. The fall season can also mean lots of unripe green tomatoes left on the vine. If you’ve ever thought what a waste it is to have all those beautiful homegrown tomatoes left at the end of the season, I've got you covered! Don’t throw away your green tomatoes! I'll show you how easy it is to slow-ripen tomatoes with this no-fuss method. While there are many different methods for ripening your green tomatoes I find this method the best way to deal with a large quantity of green tomatoes all at once.

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We typically grow between 8-12 tomato plants in our vegetable garden for canning and preserving each year so that we can fully stock the pantry for a year's worth of tomato products. Our pantry staples include; Canned Spaghetti Sauce, Homemade Tomato Sauce, Salsa, Enchilada Sauce, and Canned Tomatoes. To make all of that canning possible I do however rely on a few appliances that make the daunting task of preserving the tomato harvest quick and efficient. The most important appliance, in my opinion, is The Roma Food Mill or the Electric Food Mill Attachment for our meat grinder. 

The Ripening Process

A little bit about how tomatoes ripen and why you can harvest them when they are green and still enjoy fresh ripe tomatoes in a couple of weeks. Tomatoes ripen from the inside out, transitioning from green to red as they soften and develop. This process is made possible by ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone. Ethylene gas is a naturally occurring gas that fruits emit, which speeds up the conversion of mature green tomatoes to vine-ripened tomatoes and plays a crucial role in the ripening process. Understanding this process helps in optimizing the ripening of your green tomatoes. The best temperature to ripen tomatoes is between 55-70°F. This range is ideal for gradual ripening without causing the tomatoes to rot. Moderate humidity is best for ripening tomatoes, however, I live in a rather dry climate and I do not have any issues with my unripened tomatoes fully ripening. Too much moisture however is the enemy and can lead to mold. Contrary to popular belief, tomatoes do not need direct sunlight to ripen. In fact, a dark place can sometimes be more beneficial, as it prevents premature overripening.

Storing and Ripening Green Tomatoes

Ripening on the Vine:

One traditional method I do not personally practice is to uproot the entire plant and hang it upside down in a dark place. This allows the tomatoes to continue ripening on the vine. However, this method is messy and impractical for most. Most years our Roma tomato plants typically get about 4 feet tall and very heavy and bushy so this just isn't feasible. 

Individual Tomato Method:

When cleaning out the garden at the end of the year tomato plants are one of the last things I pull out. I try to give the remaining tomatoes as much time on the vine as possible to ripen before the first frost occurs. However, when it's time to pick the remaining green tomatoes I follow this method every year with great success. 

1. Pick the mature tomatoes, and discard any very small and underdeveloped tomatoes.
2. Wash and lay them out on beach towels to FULLY dry.
3. Sort:
   • Ripe red tomatoes that need to be used within 1-2 days
   • Tomatoes that are pink/turning red and need 3-5 days to fully ripen.
   • Fully grown but still green.

For the ripe tomatoes, place in the fridge to slow down the ripening process until some of the others can ripen, use immediately or freeze within 1-2 days.

Tomatoes that are starting to turn pinkish-red let them fully dry and leave them in a large bowl on the kitchen counter for a few days depending on how many you have.

For the fully green tomatoes set up a flat space like a folding table and cover it with a broken-down cardboard box or brown paper bags cut apart and laid out flat. Place the unripe tomatoes in a single layer on the table. I typically do this in my garage where there is good air flow. If you have the room to do this in the house near a window that will speed up the ripening process even faster but is not critical. 

Alternative Ripening Methods

Paper Bag Method- For a more controlled ripening process, place tomatoes in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana. These fruits emit ethylene gas, which helps speed up the ripening process.

Box Method- Another effective method is to layer the tomatoes in a single layer in a cardboard box. This method works well for a small number of tomatoes, however, if you stack tomatoes in a box to ripen they will most likely put too much pressure on each other causing some to split as they ripen and that introduces moisture to the tomatoes thus mold will begin to grow causing them to spoil.

Sunny Window- If you need to speed up the ripening process, place the tomatoes in a sunny window. The warmer temperatures can help accelerate ripening.

Wrapped Method- If you have the patience, wrap each tomato individually in a layer of newspaper and store them in a cool area. Check them regularly to ensure they are ripening evenly.

Monitoring Ripeness

One to two times a week, check your tomatoes. Turn them, pull out any that have fully ripened, and discard any that are spoiling. Doing this on a regular basis helps ensure that your tomatoes ripen evenly and reduces waste. Ripe tomatoes will turn red or the desired color depending on the variety. They will also be slightly soft to the touch but still firm.

10 Ways To Preserve Ripe Tomatoes:

Now that you've got all of your beautiful tomatoes to ripen what should you do with them? If you can't preserve them right away you can certainly freeze them and get them out later to use.

1. Canned Spaghetti Sauce
2. Canned Tomato Sauce
3. Canned or Frozen Enchilada Sauce
4. Canned Tomatoes
5. Canned Salsa
6. Pizza Sauce
7. Dehydrate sliced tomatoes
8. Freeze-dried tomatoes
9. Freeze whole tomatoes
10. Homemade sundried tomatoes.

Troubleshooting 

Uneven Ripening- If your tomatoes are ripening unevenly, it could be due to inconsistent temperatures or humidity. I typically do not have any issues with storing my tomatoes in my garage in September and October, however, if you have access to a root cellar, a basement or

Rot and Mold- To prevent rot and mold, make sure your tomatoes are completely dry before storage and that they are not packed too tightly together. If you choose to store them in boxes or buckets, I recommend checking them daily and rotating them so the weight of the tomatoes does not crush the tomatoes at the bottom of the pile.

Fruit Flies- Keep fruit flies at bay by ensuring your storage area is clean and by using traps if necessary.

How To Use Green Tomatoes

If you have green tomatoes that you don’t care to ripen, they can be used in a variety of green tomato recipes like:

• Green tomato salsa From An Oregon Cottage
• Fried Green Tomatoes  From A Family Feast
• Green Tomato Chutney From Chili Pepper Madness
•  Spicy Green Tomato Pickles From Little House Living
• Ferments Green Tomatoes From Prepare and Nourish
• Air Fried Green Tomato BLT From Mochas and Mimosas