Vine ripened or pick early

[crazyoldgooseman]

Growing up picking tomatoes for market in NJ and Md, I'm used to picking tomatoes as breakers or blushing , just starting to turn. I feel like I avoid some cracking with all the recent rain and some damage from birds. It also helps me not miss some. I was wondering how people think this may affect the taste. Thanks for opinions or ideas.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman

Growing up picking tomatoes for market in NJ and Md, I'm used to picking tomatoes as breakers or blushing , just starting to turn. I feel like I avoid some cracking with all the recent rain and some damage from birds. It also helps me not miss some. I was wondering how people think this may affect the taste. Thanks for opinions or ideas.

Maybe a little, but the good far outweighs the bad here if picked at blush instead of full ripe. Critters, anthracnose, splitting etc. not worth the risk after all your hard work and TLC in growing them. I think countertop ripening after they are at blush usually produces fine tomatoes. It also produces more anticipation anxiety, "c'mon , ripen, ripen, ripen"

Marsha

[mecktom]

Once thought that ripping on the vine was the very best but now pick earlier. They taste the same after ripping off the vine and are much safer from deer, raccoons, squirrels, etc.

[cythaenopsis]

I had just the very experience a couple of days ago.

We had a big rain system come through and my containers got drenched. On my Lemon boy I had two tomatoes that had just turned yellow. The larger one was the first tomato that had appeared on the plant this season. The slightly smaller one ended up splitting (despite being a little behind in the ripening order). Thankfully the split was fairly thin, but I knew right there that I had to take the tomato off the vine.

Not having any experience with this, I didn't know if it would be OK to let it ripen in a bowl like this, or if it would be better to just eat it. I chose the latter. It tasted quite good, but with a hint of being under ripe. The following day, the older tomato was ready to be picked (I probably could have waited another day, but I my anticipation thwarted that) so I plucked it off, sliced it in half, and took a bite. Delicious! The taste seemed to be spot on, with absolutely no "greenish" flavoring that comes with an unripe tomato.

I imagine had the smaller tomato not been split, it would have tasted fine after a day or two of sitting in a bowl. I honestly don't think the "drop off" in fresh flavor is so extreme that you'd taste a huge difference from picking a little early versus eating right off the vine. But that may vary depending upon the variety.

But yes, if you have issues with varmints and deer taking bites of your fruits, bringing in early is obviously a smart idea. I have birds in my area who have on a few occasions burrowed through the mulch layer into the soil, probably looking for worms. That worried me, because if they're desperate enough perhaps they'd try pecking into the tomatoes. Although the varieties I'm growing are not bright red (dark maroon and yellow), I do know that birds are very visual creatures. So as an extra precaution, I slipped a segment of thin nylon over the ripening tomatoes just to mask their appearance. It's easy to do when your yield isn't much, but if you've got a large production going it would be too tedious an effort.

[Redbaron]

I have to go against the grain here. Vine ripened is better tasting IMHO. I think the main reason people pick early is that 95% of the taste is better than no tomato at all. So if your tomatoes are under attack by every varmit in the county, because your tomatoes taste better than anything grown in the county...sure...pick early. Better than getting nothing.

But if your varmit load is low, and you are not trying to ship them all over, not trying to store them, can either sell or use them right away........then let them vine ripen for 100% of the flavor.

[nnjjohn]

I am always for vine ripened but will not hesitate to pick em blush if they look like they are splitting or under attack. Can't wait for slicing beef steaks..going to find some today here in jersey.. there should be some on the stands!!!

[livinonfaith]

I also think it depends on if you know a big soaking rain is coming. Or, if they are in a container, if you are going to be soaking them right at the end of their ripening.

Seems like tomatoes that get a large amount of water as they are getting ripe just don't taste as good.

I would rather pull them off than let them ripen in wet soil.

[zipcode]

I'm fairly convinced vine ripe will be slightly sweeter. Very visible for cherries. If you pick a Matt's wild cherry slightly red and ripen inside it will be mostly acidic. Let it become dark red on vine, and will be very sweet.

[indigosand]

No question the sugars are better when left on the vine, but often (like tonight) I have to choose between a little less ripe or risking the ever watchful mocking bird boring holes in them.