If the mercury column falls below the 10-degree mark in autumn, green tomatoes will no longer ripen outdoors. Here you can find out why you should harvest early and how you can still enjoy fully ripe fruit.

Harvest green tomatoes? Yes - Consume green tomatoes? No way

Tomatoes contain a toxic alkaloid as a natural defense. In the immature state, the concentration of solanine is at a level that is hazardous to human health. Eating a single green tomato causes severe nausea and severe stomach pain. In the course of maturity, the high level of the toxin decreases. Good to know that a tomato does not necessarily have to be dangling from the plant.

If cool temperatures prevent the natural ripening process in autumn, knowledgeable hobby gardeners therefore resort to plan B. As if Mother Nature were at a disadvantage, she equipped tomatoes with the ability to ripen later. The green tomatoes are harvested like their fully ripe counterparts. What follows is as simple as it is ingenious.

This is how green tomatoes ripen

Unless you are growing one of the rare green tomato varieties, subject the unripe fruit to post-ripening. How to proceed:

  • Harvest green tomatoes that turn yellow or red from the base
  • Wrap each fruit individually in newspaper
  • store in a warm place out of direct sunlight
  • Temperatures of 18 to 20 degrees promote the ripening process
  • alternatively place in a cardboard box together with a fully ripe apple or banana

If the temperatures fall early in the year, tomato plants often still present a lush crop of fruit. In this case, pull the entire plant out of the ground. If possible, leave the climbing aid on the shoots to stabilize them. In the warm boiler room, hang the stalk upside down from the ceiling. The tomatoes ripen within a few days and can be harvested normally.

tips and tricks

The toxic solanine is also found in all green parts of plants without breaking down. So don't let your playful cat nibble on it or mix the leaves with rabbit greens. Your furry housemates won't survive this meal unscathed.

Category:

Vegetable garden