When the end of the tomato harvest season is slowly approaching, most people are at a loss. Because what happens to the green tomatoes now? Very simple: let them ripen!
When the time is ripe for autumn, most tomatoes are far from it. Because the days from October are usually too short to let the still green tomatoes ripen. It's too cold then. The green tomatoes therefore have no chance to ripen. The dew at night also gives them a lot of trouble. This will make them glassy, which in turn can cause them to start rotting. In addition, this can also be a cause of the tomatoes bursting.
But what should you do with the green tomatoes? Before you come up with clever sayings, let it ripen on the bush - that's probably clear to everyone. But what do you do when the green tomatoes in the garden no longer ripen or even fall off? Very simple: then let the tomatoes ripen in the house! You have three options to do this. But first we want to clarify why you have to let the tomatoes ripen at all.
Why do green tomatoes have to ripen?
You must let green tomatoes ripen because they contain the active ingredient solanine. This is a bitter substance that tomatoes produce to protect themselves from diseases and pests. And this substance is poisonous. So if you eat unripe tomatoes, you may experience symptoms of poisoning. These include nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea and headaches. These usually occur from a consumption of 25 milligrams of solanine. From 400 milligrams, the natural toxin is even deadly.
Source: German Green Cross
Once the tomatoes have ripened, you don't have to worry anymore. Only the green batch still contains a small part of solanine. There is just 1 milligram of solanine per 100 grams. So they don't fall down right away. If you still want to be on the safe side, simply cut out the green part before eating.
This is how green tomatoes ripen
Let the tomatoes ripen in the box/in a paper bag:
Harvest the tomatoes with part of the stalks and leave them in a dark andripen in a warm room. It is best to put the fruit in a box or box and place it in the kitchen. Because the tomatoes now need temperatures between 16 and 25 degrees. However, light is not necessary. This is how the green tomatoes turn red in a few days.
If you only want to ripen a small amount of green tomatoes, you can wrap them in newspaper or put them in a paper bag. The tomatoes then have to be stored in a warm room again.
Little tip:
You can also accelerate the ripening process. For example by placing an apple with the tomatoes. This secretes a ripening gas called ethylene, which supports the process.
Let the tomatoes ripen on the vine:
If the tomatoes are still on the vine and don't want to ripen in the garden, you can cut off the entire plant far below, defoliate and hang it upside down in a warm place (e.g. in the boiler room). In this way, the tomatoes also ripen and become a lot more aromatic than when they were loose.
Let the tomatoes ripen in a clay pot:
Tomatoes also ripen very well in clay pots. So if you have a clay or Roman pot, then first soak it in water for a few hours. Then you need to put the tomatoes in the moistened clay jar and cover. With a clay pot, for example, a clay coaster is very suitable. You must then place the pot in a warm place in the house.
Now turn the lid over so that you can fill the trough with water. If the water evaporates, this increases the humidity. So always refill some water as soon as it has evaporated. The tomatoes turn red within a very short time and are therefore edible.