Blog: Don’t be left with jars of green tomato chutney!
Growing tomatoes outdoors is possible now in North-East England but if it’s a poor summer, it’s good to know about ripening green tomatoes in September and October.
My choice of outdoor varieties this year were Tigerella and Al Fresco. The latter was very poor but Tigerella exceeded all expectations. They were part of a striped tomato pack from Plants of Distinction, including Green Zebra. Read more about my indoor tomato choices too.
If you live in a warmer climate, you may have enough warm sunshine for fruit to ripen on the plant, by far the best way. However, this summer has consisted of a hot June, then a cool and wet July and August, severely curtailing development. Even a warm first fortnight in September wasn’t enough to get the mass of fruits over the line.
Ripening green tomatoes – what to do
If you’re in this boat, drastic action is needed! I cut off the trusses, leaving long ‘handles’ with parts of the stem attached. Then all you need to do is find somewhere warm and light – a conservatory, porch or greenhouse is ideal to ripen them in.
Rig up a few canes balanced on large pots and hang the trusses over them. Make sure they aren’t touching and have plenty of air circulation – you don’t want to encourage rot or mildew.
It will take longer than ripening on the plant but they will eventually turn red (or whatever colour they’re supposed to be). I find this method works far better than placing individual fruits in a dish. Some people swear by placing a banana nearby but I find this isn’t necessary.
Of course, you can use the same method for tomatoes under glass. I usually do this in October. Watch the weather to squeeze as much natural ripening on the plant as you can before chopping off the fruit.
