OK to pick before fully ripe?

[SueCT]

I do it on the counter or kitchen table out of direct sunlight. Putting them in a paper bag causes them to turn red earlier but is the equivalent of "gassing" the tomatoes like they do or used to in order to make grocery store tomatoes turn red for sale when they are not ripe. I believe it is ethylene gas they give off that is trapped in the bag and makes them turn red. That, however, does not mean they are ripe flavor wise. I would find a way to eat them green first.

[Kikaida]

Since we're on this subject, what is the sure sign that it is in the breaker stage? I have one that is huge and I'd hate to lose it. It has lightened up but still has green shoulders, no sign of color yet.

[digsdirt]

Break/blush develops on the blossom end of the fruit and the shoulders (as well as most all of the fruit) are still green. Check out the pics of the various stages I linked to in my previous post or Google USDA Tomato Color Chart for even more pics.

Dave

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by digsdirt

Break/blush develops on the blossom end of the fruit and the shoulders (as well as most all of the fruit) are still green. Check out the pics of the various stages I linked to in my previous post or Google USDA Tomato Color Chart for even more pics.



Dave

Yes, showing color on the blossom end is when I pick them.

I don't have a lot of counter space so I set out four large, shallow platters/casserole dishes around the living room which stays cool and gets little to no sun--two for pastes and two for eating varieties. The greener ones go in one container, and as they get closer to ripe they get transferred to the second container. When they are ready for eating/canning, they get moved to bowls on the dining room table, which is also out of direct sunlight.

The best part is that even after I pick them, I can still spend many happy hours examining and assessing them, and moving them from container to container...

[FILMNET]

As I pick them , I put them1-2 days in a bag with a banana, but only the days. Them out for days.

[jhp]

I pick them early if I'm having a critter (squirrel or chipmunk) problem or big rain is coming. I put them single layer on trays and let them ripen on the dining room table as that is where I have room. Cherry/grape types go in a bowl and I usually don't bother picking them early unless heavy rain is expected. I use trays like in this photo where I have them arranged on my patio just after picking. Well, these are ripe. Must have been a dry August last summer. I prefer to store them on the vine when possible as I sometimes lose track of them if I have too many ripening on the table.

As to bites out of every tomato, that has to be squirrels. You think it's happening at night, but I'd guess they are doing it early morning. Squirrels get up pretty early. For squirrels, I use 2 cheap shower radios tuned to AM talk radio, 2 different stations, with the volume turned very low. This sounds like humans in the garden talking to each other and they stay away. The volume doesn't have to be very high, they have good hearing. I set it low enough that I can just barely hear it from my patio. That way I'm sure to not bother the neighbors. This has worked to keep squirrels away and I've done it for years. Before that, I had years of every tomato in the garden with a bite out of it. It would get me so angry! Why can't they just eat *ONE* whole tomato?! My squirrels would bite green and ripe ones. The shower radios work. They really do because when they are on, no bites. If both radios batteries die and I don't notice, bites. Can't say if it works for the chipmunks. I've had some living in the garden at times and the radios didn't work on them. For them, I have my kitty cat Clarence. We were overrun with chipmunks last year and Clarence went on a hunting spree like I've never seen before.

As to trapping them, we've done that too, especially chipmunks that is effective, they can't resist a strawberry in a trap. Squirrels seem to know better than to go in the trap. An acquaintance of my husband traps squirrels, spray paints orange paint on the tail and releases 5 miles away. Wouldn't you know, he had an orange tailed squirrel show up in his yard.


Jen

[Dewayne mater]

I would add that if your tomatoes are definitely being bitten in the night, consider the possibility of rats. We have a creek behind the house that always has water and that attracts all manner of critters, including rats. 2 years ago, they were eating tomatoes during the night and starting to take bites when they were green, not liking that, but coming back to finish them once they ripened. It took me a while to figure out it was rats and not squirrels or birds. Then I put out traps around all entrances, got a couple them and the problem stopped. Since then, I think the hawks, owl and who know what else have kept the rats in check.

Dewayne mater

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Yes, showing color on the blossom end is when I pick them.

I don't have a lot of counter space so I set out four large, shallow platters/casserole dishes around the living room which stays cool and gets little to no sun--two for pastes and two for eating varieties. The greener ones go in one container, and as they get closer to ripe they get transferred to the second container. When they are ready for eating/canning, they get moved to bowls on the dining room table, which is also out of direct sunlight.

The best part is that even after I pick them, I can still spend many happy hours examining and assessing them, and moving them from container to container...

You can gently pack them in wicker baskets ( to allow aeration). That is better than a cardboard box, IMO.
Also, I would be careful not to injure while picking/handling. This can lead to a longer shelf life and low spoilage.

[digsdirt]

Those are great harvest pics Jen! Love your garden guard.

Dave

[Dangit]

Just a bit of follow up on the squirrel issue.

jhp, In my search for info on dealing with these little buggers, I have read that orange paint story in several places. Always orange paint, always 5 miles away, always one that returns. Sounds like urban legend to me.

I have placed peanuts around the tomato plants recently, (peanuts are like heroin the them, they can not resist them), and they are untouched. To me that says NO SQUIRRELS in the garden. It makes me wonder about rats and most birds too. Any critter that loves peanuts (most), seems eliminated because they would have to go past the peanuts to bite the tomatoes.

Sorry for the derail. As you can see, I'm a bit obsessed with squirrels.

Dangit

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by Dangit

...Any critter that loves peanuts (most), seems eliminated because they would have to go past the peanuts to bite the tomatoes....

Depends. Maybe they're just thirsty. When my tomatoes were getting bird-sampled (the worst was pecks in 17 tomatoes on one plant, all well hidden in the foliage), my theory was that they were looking for moisture. So I started putting shallow dishes of water in the garden.

To deter rats, I read somewhere that they don't like mint, so for a few years I scattered my containers of mint under the tomato plants. Don't know if it worked, or if the rats had so many choices at the community garden that they bypassed my plants.

[jhp]

Originally Posted by digsdirt

Those are great harvest pics Jen! Love your garden guard.

Dave

Thanks Dave! And I love my garden guard too. The sweetest cat ever.

Jen

[Jonnyhat]

question... how do you know when taxi are ripe, I was expecting a true deep yellow but some of the other picks I saw they are not more of a pale yellow.