How to Ripen Green Tomatoes

They’ll be ready to eat in no time.

Few fruits are more fun to grow in the garden than tomatoes, but knowing when they’re ripe and ready to eat can be tricky. “Tomatoes that are green are usually not yet ripe,” explains Christopher Landercasper, director of farming operations for the Sonoma’s Best Hospitality Group. “All tomatoes are green before they turn red, purple, or yellow, or some other color or combination.” The problem is, if you leave tomatoes on the vine to ripen, you run the risk of animals or bugs enjoying them before you have the chance to.

Fortunately, it’s possible to ripen green tomatoes after you’ve plucked them from the vine. “Many people choose to after-ripen tomatoes indoors,” says Daniel Cunningham a horticulturist at Texas A&M AgriLife. “Not only does this practice prevent predation from wildlife and reduce exposure to extreme weather conditions, but it also might help give you more control and could even speed up the ripening process…”