In the past I have waited for tomatoes to be red and ripe before picking them. However, this year, after research, I have found a better way to harvest my tomatoes. They are beautiful and sweet and I have less damage to my fruit. The tomatoes also have the same nutritional value. I grow all of my tomatoes outside and this year is the best crop that I have ever had.
I now pick them when they first start to blush. This is called the ‘breaker’ stage. I thought that they might not taste as nice, but have in fact found them to be sweeter. This fits in with some studies done with farmers in the Mediterranean. Little did I realise that the tomato, as it starts to ripen, starts to build a layer of cells in the stalk that separate it from the plant. Therefore little more water or nutrients can travel to the fruit. It has all it needs to ripen, and sugars are already concentrated in the fruit.
What I do now is, in the morning and the evening, I harvest any fruit that are just blushing. I then place them in an egg tray in my kitchen to ripen. It is the warmth and not the sunlight that ripens a tomato. I put a few ripe tomatoes in the egg tray as the Ethylene that they give off speeds up the process. In the past I have bought bananas especially to ripen green tomatoes but now I know that I don’t need to. They finish ripening in 2 or 3 days. It may take longer in a colder room and they need to be in the warmest place. The ideal temperature is between 18⁰C and 21⁰C. I don’t put my ripening tomatoes in direct sunlight. These have ripened in a day and a half.
Different coloured tomatoes may react differently. I have never grown the black or purple ones but have grown the tiger striped ones. This year I picked my yellow ones early the same as my red ones and it worked.
Benefits of not waiting for the fruit to ripen on the vine
1. The energy of the plant can go to the remaining fruit.
2. No split ripe tomatoes after a down pour.
3. Less slug and snail damage. I grow mine up the back of the shed and used to suffer badly from this.
4. The local squirrel doesn’t take a bite out of the ripe ones.
5. Less weight on the stalks and so less chance of snapping.
6. No ‘sunburn’ damage on my fruit which has been useful this year.
7. Less chance of losing my tomatoes to disease.
8. No bird damage. I have found feathers amongst the leaves and beak holes in my tomatoes in the past.
I grow a mixture of heirloom tomatoes and save the seeds, and use seeds from bought tomatoes. We grow about 50 tomato plants. I need to make enough jars of passatta for winter, and have enough tomatoes to cook with, and eat in salads. This year we are literally swiming in tomatoes and I have run out of jars and freezer space. I will definitely harvest this way again next season. Only one tomato has had slug or bird damage and that was when I was away for 2 days. Have you tried harvesting your tomatoes this way? I am definitely repeating this method next year.
This is interesting, I didn’t know any if this. Thankyou for sharing :)
I suppose this time of year I do that and put them into a cardboard box. I haven’t used a banana this year and never did in the past until it became fashionable.
I don’t understand the bit about nutrients or water getting to the plant, I can see the fruit doesn’t need anymore at full size but if that is the case how come tomatoes split when we have had more than enough rain as water will have got in?
That was my first thought but the cells build over a number of days and so water can still get through until totally sealed so that the tomato can wizen and the seed be protected.
No worries.
I have done this too this year and it has made a huge difference to our crop. Also means we have had less if a glut and mire if a steady stream.
Absolutely, though I am getting a glut now. There won’t be lots of green tomatoes left this year, though.
Great information! I usually harvest every two or three days and wait until they are ripe but I’m going to try your method for the rest of this season. Thank you Toni
Great. Yes it has really cut down on spoiled tomatoes for me and given me a constant supply.
Thanks for this info, really helpful and useful. I harvest usually pick when ripe.
No worries. I always used to but will be harvesting this way from now on.
For some reason this post only appeared as I’m going to bed. Guess I’m getting up early to harvest my blushing tomatoes as this was a fascinating post. I was concerned when everyone else was harvested for the past few weeks that I might lose my crop as only 3 so far have ripened outside. I have loads this year so really pleased everyone else having a good year too. Useful to know you have 50 so will increase mine for next year 😀. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Yes I always plant too many seedlings but when they are in separate pots it is easy to cram a lot in a small space. Glad that it helps.
Lovely to learn this, I had no idea it was so.
Conversly, if you have a glut or want fresh tomatoes later on, ripening can probably be delayed for some time merely by storing them at in a cooler place, as long as it is above 10 degrees, so they don’t go mealy.
As allways, you have given really usefull down to earth knowledge. Thanks. I’m gratefull.
Am on my way out to pick tomatoes….
Great. Yes I store tomatoes in my North facing porch when I need to delay a glut. I guess we have to be smart to try to keep up with all that Mother Nature provides.