How to Cook Green Tomatoes

At the end of the season, you still have a bunch of green tomatoes that you don’t know how to handle? Here are a few suggestions for ripening tomatoes using ethylene, a natural gas that ripens fruits.

Table of Contents

Steps

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Harvest regularly. Whichever of the following methods is used, you should check regularly. If possible, choose green tomatoes that are slightly pink near the stem and feel a bit softer in the hand than firm green ones. ^{[1] X Research Source} If you pick them earlier than this, the tomatoes are not old enough and will not ripen. You should leave the green tomatoes for processing.

If you’re not sure if a green tomato is old enough, cut a tomato in half – if it’s slightly yellow inside and has a slightly sticky juice, it’s old enough and probably ripe. ^{[2] X Research Source} Obviously, the tomato you cut is not ripe, but observing its appearance will help you know which green tomatoes are on the branch.
If you know that a frost is coming that will destroy all the tomatoes, don’t pick them individually; Pull the whole plant out of the ground, making sure that some of the roots are still attached. Shake off the soil and hang the plant upright in a dry and sheltered place, such as in a garage. Avoid extreme conditions (direct sunlight, absolute darkness) as your tomatoes will spoil! If you do it this way, the tomatoes will ripen almost as if they were still on the branch. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Before storing tomatoes, you need to remove twigs, twigs, stems, leaves, etc., which can rub against the fruit and cause damage during ripening. If the tomatoes are dirty, wash them gently and let them dry before ripening.

Use one of the techniques described below to preserve and ripen tomatoes once removed from the stem.

Use jars – to ripen a few tomatoes

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Collect some jars and open the lids.

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Put one banana in each jar.

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Place 2-4 medium-sized green tomatoes in each jar. Do not put too many tomatoes in the jar; otherwise, the tomato may be crushed.

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Close the lid tightly.

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Place the vial in a warm place with moderate humidity and out of direct sunlight. Check regularly – if the banana is rotten before the tomatoes are ripe, replace it with another one. This method can ripen tomatoes in about 1-2 weeks.

Use a cardboard box – to ferment more tomatoes

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Prepare the cardboard box. If so, put some extra foam or cardboard in the bottom of the box; Or maybe just line it with newspaper.

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Place a layer of tomatoes in the box, one close to the other. If there are a lot of tomatoes, you can add another layer of tomatoes, but be gentle. Do not layer more than 2 layers if this may damage the bottom layer of tomatoes. You can add more layers of tomatoes by using 6 sheets of black and white newspaper between the layers of tomatoes. Check often for ripe tomatoes. Do not add bananas to the can, unless you plan to cook a large number of tomatoes at once.

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Add a few ripe bananas if you like. It is possible that the tomatoes will ripen anyway, as they produce ethylene gas and will interact with each other. However, bananas will help speed up this process.

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Place the tomato incubator in a cool and slightly humid room, away from light. Kitchen shelves are ideal if you have one.

Use a plastic bag – to compost many or a few tomatoes

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Collect plastic bags. Poke a few “ventilation” holes on each bag intended to be used.

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Place 3-4 tomatoes and 1 banana in each bag. Depending on the bag size, you can add more tomatoes and bananas (or less).

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Store in a warm-moderate humidity and avoid direct sunlight.

Use a paper bag – to compost a few tomatoes

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Open the paper bag and put in the bag a ripe banana and some tomatoes that fit the size of the bag.

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Store in a warm, medium humidity place and avoid direct sunlight.

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This method will be useful if you don’t have a lot of room and only have a few tomatoes.

Advice

Bananas used to incubate tomatoes need to be “ripe” – bananas will work best when they are golden but green at both ends. All ripening fruit produces ethylene gas, a gas that ripens fruit. Bananas are not the only fruit that can be used, but they produce more ethylene gas than other fruits, so bananas will be the best source of gas for ripening fruit. Moreover, unlike tomatoes, bananas have the ability to ripen very well after cutting.
For the best taste, eat tomatoes as soon as they are ripe. Tomatoes will gradually lose their flavor after a week in the refrigerator.
This method also works to ripen green bell peppers (capsicums).
Humidity is also an important factor in indoor fruit ripening. Too much humidity can speed up the rotting process (and also the obnoxious fruit flies); Too much humidity will cause the tomatoes to lose water. You should watch carefully the ripening process and adjust accordingly.
This is a great science experiment for kids and a way to ignite their enthusiasm for the joy of harvesting vegetables in the garden.
Remove some overly green tomatoes from the plant a few weeks before frost arrives to help the tomatoes left on the branch ripen faster, because the plant will concentrate more nutrients on the remaining ones. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Warning

Tomatoes that have endured the first frost are not good either; Pick these berries before the frost comes!
Don’t waste time with sick or insect-stung tomatoes; Only save green berries of good quality.
Although tomatoes will ripen using any of the above methods, their flavor and texture will never be as sweet and/or fleshy as those ripe on the stem. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Do not expose tomatoes to light. Only tomato plants (especially leaves) need sun; Tomatoes can ripen on their own best in the dark. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Things you need

Green tomatoes, freshly picked from the branches (except for the whole stem method)
Method of using jars: one banana for each jar, 1 large jar to incubate 3 medium sized tomatoes; The jar must have a lid
Method of using cardboard boxes: Large cardboard boxes to incubate many tomatoes, ripe bananas (optional) – many fruits per box, depending on the size of the box
Method of using plastic bags: Plastic bags (large, clear, kitchen grade), 1 ripe banana for each bag
Method of using paper bags: Paper bags (lunch bags are ideal), 1 ripe banana per bag
Methods for ripening tomatoes on branches: a shovel to pull up a tree, a rope to hang a tree