Tips for ripening, preserving green tomatoes
Tips for ripening, preserving green tomatoes
BY KATHLEEN RIGGS
Kathy's Corner
It happens every year. There are always some ripe and semi-ripe tomatoes left on the vine that get caught in the first frost of the fall. One of the concerns people have is whether these tomatoes can be used for canning.
The recommendation is not to can tomatoes from frost-killed vines. This may result in an unsafe product because of the potential low acidity of the tomatoes on frost-killed vines.
It's best to pick your tomatoes before the first frost and ripen them indoors. Tomatoes that have turned light green or pink will ripen satisfactorily indoors.
Anything greener can be used for frying, relish, salsa, etc. Green tomatoes can be safely canned if you follow the USDA recommendations available from your local county extension office or downloadable from extension.usu.edu.
To ripen tomatoes, keep them out of direct sunlight. Room temperature should be between 60 and 70 degrees F. If the temperature falls below 55 degrees F, flavor will suffer.
Fruit should be checked daily for decay or rotting. To prevent the spread of decay, the fruit may be wrapped individually in tissue paper. The damaged fruit should be disposed of as soon as it is noticed.
If you did not pick your tomatoes before the first frost, a safe option is to freeze the tomatoes, after cutting away/removing "bad spots" or blemished areas. Tomato juice and stewed tomatoes can be frozen successfully in freezer containers, leaving at least 1 1/2-inch head space. For the best flavor, use these products within eight to 12 months.
Whole tomatoes can be frozen for cooking if you plan on using them within three months. The skins may be tough, so it is recommended that you peel (or "slip the skin" from) the tomatoes and freeze them in freezer containers or freezer bags.
If your tomatoes have escaped being frozen but you want to get them out of the cold nighttime temperatures to ripen safely, here are some additional recommendations:
Test for maturity - If you're not sure whether your green tomatoes are mature cut a questionable in half. If it has yellowish interior and jelly-like or sticky tissue, it is mature enough. Then, look for similar tomatoes that can be picked and ripened. Any tomato that has even a tinge of color will most likely ripen on its own after harvesting.
Pull the entire plant - If you know a hard frost is coming that will ruin all of the tomatoes, don't pick individual tomatoes; pull the entire plant out of the ground, making sure that some roots are still attached.? Shake off as much dirt as you can and hang it upright in a dry, sheltered location such as the garage or a basement ceiling that has bare rafters.
It is best to avoid extreme temperatures as well as direct sunlight or total darkness. It may take up to two weeks but the tomatoes should ripen.
Help the tomatoes ripen - Another method to ripen tomatoes is to prepare a cardboard box lined with several layers of newspaper or foam in the base. Then, layer the tomatoes in the box, next to each other.
Adding next a ripening banana will speed up the ripening process of the tomatoes but just being next to each other the tomatoes will release ethylene and help ripen all those in the box.
Place the box in a cool, slightly humid room, preferably in a cool basement away from light or on a pantry shelf with a door.
Use a paper bag - If you only have a few tomatoes to ripen, place them inside a paper bag and add a ripening banana. Store in a warm, semi-humid area away from direct sunlight.
