Topic: Tip: ripen green tomatoes on the vine

[kt.]

Just read in the newspaper supplement today:

Go Bananas: Ripen all those green tomatoes before the weather turns too chilly. Hang a few bananas by the plants - they will give off a gas that turns toms red fast.

Beats pulling them off the plant & into a draw. They will be fresher.

[jennym]

Last year I cut off my vines and hung the vines with strings in the shed (no door) for the green tomatoes to ripen, worked well, was having fresh toms at Christmas.

[SnooziSuzi]

I stopped watering mine about a month ago when there was no sign of them ever turning red, and when they were all dried out they were all beautifully scarlet!

I remember my sainted grandfather telling me that they ripen better off the vine - propably the same principle; the plant thinks it's dying so puts all of it's energy in ripening the fruit so that the seeds are viable for the next sucession.

[kitten]

I cut one vine of green toms off one of our plants a couple of days ago, and have sat it with a banana on my kitchen windowsill to try this theory out.

I'm sure it will work, but not sure how long it's meant to take - i'm getting a bit impatient  ;D

[shirlton]

Do you think it would work for peppers too. I have hung a bunch of three in with them anyhow.

[mackem]

My Dad used to put his in a brown paper bag
 then put them in a drawer, worked for him. :)

[Barnowl]

I've tried both ways. I think it works best if the tomatoes are in a brown paper bag with the banana.

I've also tried surrounding with ripe tomatoes and bananas (see below) which does seem to have some effect.

[RosieMcPosie]

have millions of green tomatos- thanks so much for all this info! will be trying several suggested ways of ripening them and let u know my results!