Learning how to ripen green tomatoes can help you enjoy fresh fruit without leaving the tomatoes on the vine that might get destroyed by frost or a pest infestation. Allowing tomatoes to ripen on the vine is preferable, but other methods, like putting them in a paper bag with another fruit, can help ripen them once they are picked.
Whether you prefer to ripen your tomatoes on or off the vine, there are some easy methods to try. Here’s how to do it.
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
Use a Paper Bag
Ripen green tomatoes by placing them in a plain paper bag. Tomatoes and other ripening fruits and vegetables release a scentless hormone in a gas form called ethylene when ripening. When placed in a paper bag, exposure to the gas triggers faster ripening.1 This should encourage green tomatoes to ripen, though some might never get perfectly ripe. Check the bag daily for progress and any signs of rotting.
Store Tomatoes on the Counter
Leave tomatoes on the counter at room temperature. Keep fruits warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit to finish ripening; cooler temperatures will stunt the process. Keep the stem intact with the stem’s side facing down.
Use Other Fruits
Place the green tomato with a ripe tomato, apple, or banana in a paper bag. Other big ethylene-producing fruits include avocados, cantaloupe, kiwi, peaches, pears, and peppers.1
Bring the Plant Indoors
If you still have green tomatoes well into the cool days of fall, you can dig up the entire plant, including roots, and hang it with garden twine in a dry, sheltered location, such as a garage. This way, the fruits will still have some of the benefits of ripening on the vine. Don’t hang the plant in direct sunlight or total darkness. If the tomato plant is in a container, bring it inside and keep it in a sunny window.
Place Tomatoes on a Sunny Windowsill
This is a hit-or-miss solution. You’ll have more luck fully ripening tomatoes that already have some color and feel softer than the solid young fruits. Although tomatoes are typically more stable sitting on their stem side, they will rot less readily if you place them blossom side down while trying to ripen them.2 You can also turn the tomatoes to prevent soft spots and help them to ripen uniformly.
Wrap the Tomatoes in Newspaper
Layer tomatoes individually wrapped in newspaper in a box no more than two layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry spot. It usually takes three to four weeks for tomatoes to ripen. Check them frequently, and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting.
Harvesting Green Tomatoes After the Growing Season
Harvest the green tomatoes if you’ve done everything to keep your tomato plant growing cycle going in the fall and frost threatens.
Tips for Harvesting
- Pick all the tomatoes—green and red—at the end of the growing season.
- Don’t harvest tiny green tomatoes.
- Separate ripened and unripened tomatoes.
How to Keep Tomato Plants Growing in the Fall
Apply these tips to keep your tomato plants healthy in the fall season and get those green tomatoes to ripen on the vine.
Feed the Plants
Give your tomato plants a final dose of food in the fall. Some compost tea or fish emulsion should give them the necessary energy to finish producing tomatoes for the season.
Remove Remnant Flowers
Once nighttime temperatures dip into the low 70s, your tomato plants will probably stop producing new fruits. To speed up the ripening of existing green tomatoes, pinch off any new flowers that could drain energy from the fruits already on the vines.
Protect the Plants From Frost
If a light frost is predicted, cover your plants with a row cover or sheet. You can leave the row cover on during the day. However, a sheet is typically too heavy and can damage stems and leaves if left on when wet. Remove and replace it as needed.
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What is the fastest way to ripen green tomatoes?
The paper bag trick is the fastest way to ripen green tomatoes. Preferably, put the green tomato in a bag with other ethylene-producing fruits like apples, bananas, or avocados.
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How long does a paper bag take to work on ripening tomatoes?
Completely underripe fruits can take seven to 14 days to ripen in a paper bag. If they have started ripening or showing color, they may ripen on the shorter end of that range. Place them in a bag with bananas or apples to hasten the process.
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Why are my tomatoes still green?
Cold and hot temperatures can slow down ripening. With temperatures below 50 F and above 85 F, the pigments responsible for giving the fruit its typical orange-to-red appearance (lycopene and carotene) stop producing.3
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Do tomatoes ripen quicker on or off the vine?
Tomatoes ripen better on the vine. While remaining on the vine, the fruit gets nutrients and water to produce a juicier, tastier, ripe fruit. The speed of ripening depends on other variables, such as temperature. The ripening process will slow down if it’s cold or really hot.