Harvesting And Storing Your Tomatoes
by John Yazo
Summer finally turns into fall, this means the end of another growing season is close by. You stand in your garden looking at all the tomato plants with there half ripened fruit, wondering how you can save them before the first frost arrives and store for the winter months. Even though tomatoes that are fully ripened on the vine have a much fuller flavor than one that are picked early and ripened indoors, it isn't always possible, especially when the season is coming to an end.
Once the daytime temperatures stay below 60 degrees Fahrenheit in your area, your fruit will no longer ripen on the vine. This means it is time to pick the mature green tomatoes and bring them indoors. When harvesting them you want to leave some vine attached to the fruit. Detaching the vines will leave a hole in the fruit for decay to set in and spoil.
Just before frost, pick tomatoes while the are still green or orange. Wash them thoroughly. Rinse in a light solution of 1 gallon of water and a tablespoon of bleach. This will help to kill off bacteria that rots the fruit. Allow them to dry, then put them in a cool, dry, dark place.
Tomatoes do store well in a cool, dry location. Do not put them in the refrigerator. While they last longer in the refrigerator, they will lose their flavor and texture. Keep them a naturally cool dark location, out of direct sunlight.
To ripen tomatoes indoors, bring a couple at a time to a warm, sunny window.
If you would like to comment on this website or have any suggestions please feel free to contact us
