Can Green Tomatoes Turn Red When Off the Vine?

Green tomatoes can continue to mature off the vine.

Green tomatoes can continue to mature off the vine.

The end of the growing season often arrives with tomatoes still ripening on the vine. Before frost ruins that crop of green tomatoes, pick some and bring them indoors to finish ripening. Green tomatoes can ripen and turn red off the plant, although the maturity of the fruit and indoor conditions determine which fruits will ripen best.

Selecting Green Tomatoes

Not all green tomatoes ripen well off the plant; only those at the mature green stage will fully ripen after you pick them. The green becomes almost translucent as the fruit approaches maturity. Tomatoes may also have a faint pink or yellow blush near the blossom end. Those that are fully green and still small usually aren't mature enough to ripen off the vine. You can also determine the maturity by cutting open one tomato. If the seeds are encased in gel and the seed cavity is full, the tomatoes have reached the mature green stage.

Ripening Single Fruits

Single tomatoes ripen quickly on the counter at room temperature. Pick the green tomatoes before frost, otherwise fruit damage occurs and the green tomatoes rot instead of ripening. Place the tomatoes uncovered in a 55- to 70-degree Fahrenheit location. The fruits won't mature at temperatures below 50 degrees so don't place them in the refrigerator. Grouping several tomatoes together can help speed ripening. Use the tomatoes when they reach their full red color but before they become soft.

Whole Plant Ripening

If frost threatens and a plant is covered in multiple green tomatoes, you can pull up the entire plant to ripen indoors. Remove any small green fruits that aren't at the mature ripe stage. Pull the plant up by its roots and hang it upside down in a 55- to 70-degree location, such as in the basement or garage. Inspect the plant daily and pick the fruits as soon as they reach the fully mature stage. Dispose of or compost the remaining plant once all the tomatoes ripen.

Storing Green Tomatoes

Proper storage helps you stagger the ripening of the tomatoes if you harvest a large quantity of underripe fruit at once. Sort the fruit into groups organized by their degree of ripeness. Place the sorted groups into separate boxes, arranging them in a single layer, and store them uncovered in a 55- to 70-degree location. It takes a fully green mature tomato approximately 14 days to ripen at 70 degrees, or up to 28 days at 55 degrees. By sorting and modifying the temperatures of the stored tomatoes, you can enjoy ripe fruit for a month or more after harvest.

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