Some tomatoes may not be ripe at the end of the growing season.These plants are not all lost.You can still enjoy the tomatoes after the season is over.If your plants are potted, move them indoors to complete the ripening process.Pick the tomatoes and place them in a bag or box.Plants are made to ripen by this concentrates ethylene.Pull up the whole tomato plant and suspend it upside down to get a better taste.
Step 1: Plants can be moved inside and left in the sun.
Tomatoes stop ripening when the temperature drops.It's easy to finish off the ripening process if the weather is cold.Pick up your plants and move them to a warmer location.They should be left near a window in the sun.Tomatoes are able to continue ripening because of the warmer temperature and sunlight.Pick tomatoes that are ripening and turning red.If you want your tomato plants to grow well, make sure your home temperature is around 70 F.
Step 2: Plants can be covered at night with blankets or row covers.
If your tomato plants are not potted and the season is over, you have to pick them or cover them.In the last few days before the weather gets cold, use a blanket or row cover.Make sure there are no parts in the tomato plant.Pick the ripe ones if you check them every day.Row covers are designed to keep plants warm.They can be purchased at garden stores or online.The plants will get sunlight if the covering is taken off during the day.The method works if the weather warms up after an early frost.
Step 3: Pull up the tomato plant and move it inside.
If the weather has turned and your tomatoes are not ripe, dig up the entire plant and let it grow.Use a gardening shovel to dig around the plant roots.Remove the plant from the ground, roots and all.Don't let the dirt and debris from the plant ruin your home.If your tomatoes fall off while you pull them up, you can store them in a bag or box.
Step 4: The tomato plant can be kept in a basement or cellar.
When tomatoes are still on the vine, these locations have a better environment for ripening them.There are different ways to hang plants.It's best to use one that works best for you.Pick the tomatoes when they are ripening.Attach a string to a nail in your ceiling rafter.Leave the plant hanging upside down by tying the string around it.You can punch a hole in the bucket.Take the plant through the hole and put the bucket in the ceiling.Place a sheet or pan under the plant to keep dirt and leaves out.
Step 5: Pick the tomatoes if they are not ripe by the end of the season.
If the weather gets cold but you still have green tomatoes, you will have to finish ripening indoors.Don't crush or bruise the tomatoes if you pick them.Don't damage them, inspect them and dispose of them.They won't be ripe.You should leave the stem on the tomatoes.This helps them grow.
Step 6: The tomatoes should be washed and dried.
Before you start ripening tomatoes, wash them thoroughly.The tomato can be damaged by bugs or mold during the ripening process.Run the tomatoes under water.Then wash it with a towel.Make sure the tomatoes are dry.
Step 7: Tomatoes can be placed in a paper bag or cardboard box.
The container you use depends on how many tomatoes you have.You can use a paper bag if you only have a few.You can use a cardboard box with more room if you have a full vine.The tomatoes should be placed in a way that they don't touch each other.Use multiple boxes or bags if you have a lot of tomatoes.Too many tomatoes in one place will cause the plants to rot.
Step 8: Add a banana to the bag or box.
The chemical that makes plants grow is produced by bananas.While tomatoes produce the chemical on their own, bananas produce more and boost the ripening process.The tomatoes would benefit from the introduction of a banana.The green ends of the banana are still slightly underripe.A brown banana will no longer produce ethylene.If you put the tomatoes in multiple containers, add a banana to them.
Step 9: The bag or box should be sealed.
Tomatoes need a rich environment to grow well, so seal the container you are using.It helps your tomatoes absorb as much as they can by trapping the ethylene.Roll the bag top down.If you are using a box, close the top and use a strip of tape to hold it closed.The container should not be too tight to open.Make sure you can open the container easily if you have to check for signs of rotting, bruised, or mold growth every day.
Step 10: Tomatoes should be checked daily for mold or rotting.
Each day open the container and check the tomatoes.The tomato is starting to rot, so look for dark brown or black spots on its skin.Look for growths on the tomato.Take tomatoes away with the signs.
Step 11: The tomatoes should be removed when they are ripe.
The ripe tomatoes are ready to use.Pick out the ripe ones.The ripening process takes 1-2 weeks in warmer climates.The process can take a month in cooler environments.Remove the ripe tomatoes within a week for optimal taste and freshness.If you don't want to use them right away, place them on a windowsill.