OK to pick before fully ripe?

[Dangit]

Hi all,

I have read somewhere that a tomato will taste just as good if picked mostly green and left to ripen on its own, as a tomato fully ripened on the vine. Could this possibly be true. I'll try it myself, but I'm interested in what all of you think about this.

The reason I ask is because there is some critter coming in at night and taking bites out of my tomatoes. I wouldn't even mind if it would eat all of one and leave the rest alone, but this thing likes to sample several just before they are ripe.

This is bringing out my killer instincts.

Dangit

[Carriehelene]

Yes, it's true. A lot of people pick them early for this very reason.

[jmsieglaff]

If they are starting to blush, then in general yes, the flavor will still be very good. If they are not yet ripening, they will ripen, still be good, but not quite as good.

Do you have chipmunks or squirrels, sounds like their mischief to me.

[joseph]

For the people that I feed, a tomato picked at first blush and ripened on the table tastes better than a tomato that's been picked fully vine-ripened and partially eaten by bugs or critters.

[Dangit]

DO I HAVE SQUIRRELS?????

Oh yes, I have squirrels. In fact they own my bird feeder. I started trapping them a while ago, and re-locating them several miles away. Took #47 for a ride just yesterday. Before you say they are coming back let me just say that they are squirrels, not pigeons, and they are smart. I doubt you could catch the same one twice.

I am pretending to be something of an expert on squirrels, so it would seem, and I'm almost certain that this damage is from something else. Rat, possum, ? It happens at night, and I've never seen squirrels active at night.

I'll pick a few before their time and test it out.

Dangit

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by joseph

For the people that I feed, a tomato picked at first blush and ripened on the table tastes better than a tomato that's been picked fully vine-ripened and partially eaten by bugs or critters.

Exactly! I always pick at first blush and allow to ripen indoors.

[digsdirt]

Once the fruit reaches the "blush" (aka breaker stage) it gets nothing more from the plant. Nothing is gained by leaving the fruit on the vine past that point. And much is potentially lost - splitting, cracking, watered down taste, damage from pests, injury, rot, etc. So you'll find that most experienced growers pick at that stage rather than leaving on the vine. But the breaker stage is not the same thing as picking a green tomato. http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/pfveg...=30014&a=83755

Really no such thing as a "vine-ripened" tomato as 9 times out of 10 when it is finally picked it is actually an over-ripe tomato.

Dave

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by Dangit

Hi all,

I have read somewhere that a tomato will taste just as good if picked mostly green and left to ripen on its own, as a tomato fully ripened on the vine. Could this possibly be true.

It's absolutely true. "Vine ripened" is a marketing myth. This is the stage at which I pick tomatoes:

[Durgan]

I juice 95% of my tomatoes. I prefer them ripe almost to the point off softness for juicing. For slicing I like them ripe but still firm.

Of course at the end of the season they get picked before the frost and indoor ripened. I never buy store tomatoes since they are picked green and too hard for my taste.

To improve the taste unripened sliced tomatoes cooked a bit in a cast iron frying pan with butter are more than acceptable IMO.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HYPCT 3 September 2014 Tomato Juice
Thirty pounds of tomatoes were processed into eleven liters of tomato juice.The jars were pressure canned at 15 PSI for 15 minutes for preservation. The only addition to the pot was one liter of water to facilitate cooking. Annotated pictures depict the process.

[jmsieglaff]

Originally Posted by feldon30

It's absolutely true. "Vine ripened" is a marketing myth. This is the stage at which I pick tomatoes:

That's about where I pick mine too. The nice thing about picking tomatoes early is you can taste them at varying stages of ripeness. This is the way I found I like the taste of certain tomatoes best a little before they are fully ripe--like Sungold and Black Krim.

[Dangit]

Wow, thanks for the info. It seems that the difference would be minor if picked early.

Thanks,

Dangit

[SueCT]

Yep, I pick them partially ripe, although usually beyond "breaker" stage, but it depends. I pick to a greener stage, closer to the breaker stage before a lot of rain. I do the same for any storm with lots of wind or hale forecast. Sometimes, though, it is just more convenient to store them on the vine than in the kitchen. The only down side is space and making sure you keep up with them and don't let them get overripe inside so they attract those tiny little gnats. In your situation I would start picking at a pretty early stage. Just keep them out of the heat, off the windowsill. They will taste great!

[Dangit]

Thanks again everyone.

Now the question is; What is the best way to ripen them?

On the counter, window sill, dark corner, in a bag, in the basement (don't have one), toss on the roof, a warm place, in the fridge, some voodoo......?

I there a best way?

Dangit

[NarnianGarden]

In a dark place preferably, not in direct sunlight.

[digsdirt]

Depends on how much space you have and how many fruits. Mine are done on the kitchen counter as I have lots of it, out of any direct sun. I also set them in a single layer, not piled on each other. Set them stem side down since the fruit shoulders can support the weight better and since the fruit ripens from the bottom (blossom end). Never in the direct sun, never in the fridge, never in a paper bag.

Dave