A hint for home grown tomatoes.

J Town Girl · ‎06-13-2011

Many of you may already know this, but it was new to me. Our tomatoes were very slow ripening this year and since the weather is getting colder I wanted to try and save the ones that were still on the vine.

I looked on the internet and found an article that said you can bring them indoors while they are green and then wrap them individually in a piece of newspaper to speed up the ripening.

I thought well I have nothing to lose so I took 8 of them and wrapped them in newspaper. I kept them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. Yesterday I unwrapped them and lo and behold all but one of them had turned completely red. They were still nice and firm and when I sliced one for a salad it was still very tasty.

I know some may like green tomatoes, but we don't. I really hated to see so many go to waste so i was so happy to see that I was able to save them.

The article also stated that you could put them in a brown paper bag to ripen but you had to be careful that they don't develop mold by using that manner.

Most years we don't have a problem with our tomatoes ripening before cold weather hits. Now it's nice to know what I can do if this happens again.

Katcat1 · ‎07-21-2011

I have always heard you can place in paper bag to ripen. Its good to know that newspaper works as well. Enjoy your tomatoes -- wish it was me!

kindness is strength

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

I have used the brown paper bag method to "help" tomatoes that I have bought at farmer's markets.

I don't like fried green tomatoes (can't stand sharp or tart), but kosher green tomato pickles are good and slightly garlic. None of the tartness.

RespectLife · ‎02-27-2012

@J Town Girl

I did not know this!

Thanks for sharing!

I sadly wasted a lot this year.

lork · ‎03-10-2010

Even less work, when I bring in the remaining green tomatoes (before the first frost) I just lay them out on a table in the basement. No wrapping or saking. . . eventually most will turn red. I also do this with jalapeno peppers that I want to preserve as red Cowboy Candy. It works for me.

PA Mom-mom · ‎05-27-2015

@J Town Girl The wrapping method has worked for me in the past when I had a garden. I have been able to serve my own "fresh" tomatoes at Thanksgiving to the amazement of my guests. It's a great way to save the last of the harvest, and I'm glad it worked out for you!

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I brought in a few green tomatoes and they ripened on the counter.

When I was a child, my parents planted about 100 tomato plants. They always picked the green ones at the end of summer and wrapped them in newspaper and placed them in boxes in the basement to ripen.

They also did the same thing with winter pears. We had a huge tree in our back yard.

The newspaper method does work.