How to Ripen Your Green Tomatoes

Posted on 21. Aug, 2010 by Tracey in Grow Veg

I’ve finally got lots of tomatoes growing on my plants but they are all green. I, like many other growers at this time of the year are desperate to know how do I get them to ripen and how long will it be until they turn red or yellow. Here’s some of the answers to the mystery surrounding the change of colour of the humble tomato.

How does the colour change work?

Ethylene
This is an odorless, colourless almost invisible gas that is produced by the tomato when it reaches its green mature stage. It acts like a hormone in the plant by interacting with the tomato to start the ripening process to red or yellow.

Factors which prevent the changing colour process

• Outside Temperature – Tomatoes need to produce lycopene and carotene to also help it turn red, these substances can only be produced by the tomato in temperatures of between 10 and 29 degrees Centigrade (50 to 85 degrees F).
• A tomato will turn red within a couple of weeks once it has reached its mature green stage if the temperature stays constant between 18 to 21 degrees celsius (65-70 degrees F) any lower in temperature then the colour change will take up to a month.


Growing Tomatoes

• Wind – Tomatoes need protection from wind as the ethylene gas can be carried away from the tomato and it won’t get a chance to ripen.
• Sun – Tomatoes need the sun to ripen the fruits and at least 6 hours of sun or heat.
• Size of Variety of Tomato – Cherry tomatoes will take less time to ripen than big beefsteak tomatoes.
• Controlling the Factors – If you are growing your tomatoes outdoors, then mother nature dictates the weather, temperature, wind etc, unfortunately this means ultimately that you will have to wait for the colour change to take place naturally. However if you are growing Indoors, the possibilities are endless to control the temperature, wind, heat and sunlight, therefore tomatoes will change colour quicker in a greenhouse or polytunnel or any other controlled environment.

Alternatives to Natural Ripening

3 Green Tomatoes

If the sun doesn’t shine, the outdoor temperature isn’t right or the ethylene has drifted away then there’s still a chance your tomatoes may ripen but off of the plant.

As long as they are in the mature green stage, you can put them in a paper bag and trap the ethylene into ripening your tomatoes. Do this at room temperature.

Then store in a cool cupboard or drawer as the fridge will ruin the flavour of the tomatoes over time.

Other Tomato related posts:

• How To Grow Tomatoes
• Tomato – Variety: Yellow Centiflor
• Baby Sweet Peppers and Centiflor Tomatoes
• Growing Tomatoes – Is it really worth the effort?
• Tomatoes – Are yours red yet?

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Tags: colour change of tomatoes, ethylene tomato colour change ripen, grow tomato, growing green tomatoes, growing tomatoes, Growing Vegetables, growing yellow tomatoes, how do i turn my tomatoes red?, how to ripen green tomatoes