Learning how to ripen green tomatoes can help you enjoy fresh fruit without leaving the tomatoes on the vine that might get destroyed by frost or a pest infestation. Allowing tomatoes to ripen on the vine is preferable, but other methods, like putting them in a paper bag with another fruit, can help ripen them once they are picked.
Whether you prefer to ripen your tomatoes on or off the vine, there are some easy methods to try. Here's how to do it.
Use a Paper Bag
Ripen green tomatoes by placing them in a plain paper bag. Tomatoes and other ripening fruits and vegetables release a scentless hormone in a gas form called ethylene when ripening. When placed in a paper bag, exposure to the gas triggers faster ripening.1
Ethylene in fruits and vegetables. University of California-San Diego Center for Community Health.
This should encourage green tomatoes to ripen, though some might never get perfectly ripe. Check the bag daily for progress and any signs of rotting.
Store Tomatoes on the Counter
Leave tomatoes on the counter at room temperature. Keep fruits warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit to finish ripening; cooler temperatures will stunt the process. Keep the stem intact with the stem's side facing down.
Use Other Fruits
Place the green tomato with a ripe tomato, apple, or banana in a paper bag. Other big ethylene-producing fruits include avocados, cantaloupe, kiwi, peaches, pears, and peppers.
Bring the Plant Indoors
If you still have green tomatoes well into the cool days of fall, you can dig up the entire plant, including roots, and hang it with garden twine in a dry, sheltered location, such as a garage. This way, the fruits will still have some of the benefits of ripening on the vine. Don't hang the plant in direct sunlight or total darkness. If the tomato plant is in a container, bring it inside and keep it in a sunny window.
Place Tomatoes on a Sunny Windowsill
This is a hit-or-miss solution. You'll have more luck fully ripening tomatoes that already have some color and feel softer than the solid young fruits. Although tomatoes are typically more stable sitting on their stem side, they will rot less readily if you place them blossom side down while trying to ripen them.
Wrap the Tomatoes in Newspaper
Layer tomatoes individually wrapped in newspaper in a box no more than two layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry spot. It usually takes three to four weeks for tomatoes to ripen. Check them frequently, and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting.
