Refrigerating green tomatoes

efisakov · November 5, 2015

Have anyone tried refrigerating green tomatoes?
Temperatures outside getting very low. I am going to pick my last tomatoes soon. They are obviously green. Last year I kept them in a cool semi-dark place and they ripened at about the same time. I had about 20 pounds of them. I was thinking of refrigerating them all and to take out few at a time to ripen in groups. Hoping to have few for Xmas. Have anyone experimented with stored green tomatoes?

taboule · November 5, 2015

Some ripen, some don't, they simply rot. Too many variables.

This year I didn't bother saving more than a few, and only the ones that looked most promising -big and close to turning. The rest went in the compost. I made my last batch of salsa this past weekend.

I have a few left that may last a week or 2. Also, taste isn't too good at this point. Season is over for me.

luigiwu · November 5, 2015

Ella, how did you make the decision to pick them? My weather gadget tells me that the low overnight was 60. I was thinking of just letting them go until they call it themselves? There are some HUGE ones out there still for me.

efisakov · November 5, 2015

Taboule, last year I picked 12 pounds of green Cowlick and 12.5 pounds of green Cherokee Chocolate tomatoes at the end of the season. Cowlick ripened great. Taste was excellent, fruits were firm. Cherokee Chocolate ripened as well but was more finicky. Some great and some soft and few did rot.
This year I noticed that Claude Brown’s Y. Giant (picked green) is ripening so beautifully. It taste superb. My DH cut one of the big (over a pound) CBYG and could not stop eating it. I have one more that is getting there.
My observations so far is that pink and yellow store much better than black tomatoes.
Sorry, taking it back. Girl Girl's Weird Thing is stripe outside but looks black inside. It has being firm for me and stores long time.

efisakov · November 5, 2015

Luigiwu, we had 33 degree on October 19 (night time). I picked most big once that were light green color to ripen on the countertop and few small to ferment. Was afraid the temperature would go lower.
Left some to keep growing (they could have froze). They are getting bigger. Outlook for the next 10 days is ok.

JamesL · November 5, 2015

Ella,
Don't do the refrigerator. Or try it with only a few. They come out tasting mealy and it is really too humid.
I have good success with giving them a good scrub, then spraying with a vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution. Let stand for 10 minutes and wipe dry. Put in flats stem side down and into my basement. Last year my final greens were picked at the end of October and we were still eating them fresh after Thanksgiving.

Darren Abbey · November 5, 2015

I ended up slicing and dehydrating the green tomatoes I gathered from my garden.

zipcode · November 6, 2015

I'd say try to find a cold place but not as cold as a fridge. Ones in fridge really do get very mealy and usually rot fast after you take them out.

November 5, 2015	#1
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Refrigerating green tomatoes Have anyone tried refrigerating green tomatoes? Temperatures outside getting very low. I am going to pick my last tomatoes soon. They are obviously green. Last year I kept them in a cool semi-dark place and they ripened at about the same time. I had about 20 pounds of them. I was thinking of refrigerating them all and to take out few at a time to ripen in groups. Hoping to have few for Xmas. Have anyone experimented with stored green tomatoes? __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

November 5, 2015	#3
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Ella, how did you make the decision to pick them? My weather gadget tells me that the low overnight was 60. I was thinking of just letting them go until they call it themselves? There are some HUGE ones out there still for me. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

November 5, 2015	#4
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Taboule, last year I picked 12 pounds of green Cowlick and 12.5 pounds of green Cherokee Chocolate tomatoes at the end of the season. Cowlick ripened great. Taste was excellent, fruits were firm. Cherokee Chocolate ripened as well but was more finicky. Some great and some soft and few did rot. This year I noticed that Claude Brown’s Y. Giant (picked green) is ripening so beautifully. It taste superb. My DH cut one of the big (over a pound) CBYG and could not stop eating it. I have one more that is getting there. My observations so far is that pink and yellow store much better than black tomatoes. Sorry, taking it back. Girl Girl's Weird Thing is stripe outside but looks black inside. It has being firm for me and stores long time. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

November 5, 2015	#5
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Luigiwu, we had 33 degree on October 19 (night time). I picked most big once that were light green color to ripen on the countertop and few small to ferment. Was afraid the temperature would go lower. Left some to keep growing (they could have froze). They are getting bigger. Outlook for the next 10 days is ok. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

November 5, 2015	#7
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	I ended up slicing and dehydrating the green tomatoes I gathered from my garden. __________________ http://the-biologist-is-in.blogspot.com

November 5, 2015	#2
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	Some ripen, some don't, they simply rot. Too many variables. This year I didn't bother saving more than a few, and only the ones that looked most promising -big and close to turning. The rest went in the compost. I made my last batch of salsa this past weekend. I have a few left that may last a week or 2. Also, taste isn't too good at this point. Season is over for me.

November 5, 2015	#6
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Ella, Don't do the refrigerator. Or try it with only a few. They come out tasting mealy and it is really too humid. I have good success with giving them a good scrub, then spraying with a vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution. Let stand for 10 minutes and wipe dry. Put in flats stem side down and into my basement. Last year my final greens were picked at the end of October and we were still eating them fresh after Thanksgiving.

November 6, 2015	#8
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	I'd say try to find a cold place but not as cold as a fridge. Ones in fridge really do get very mealy and usually rot fast after you take them out.