Ripening too fast in a bag?

[enchant]

I still feel I'm a newcomer to this scene. This is my sixth year growing tomatoes and my third year growing exclusively from seeds. It's constantly a learning experience.

Last year, I learned that once a tomato blushes, there's nothing more that it can gain by hanging on the vine, aside from damage by nature. I picked everything at first blush and have been very happy with the results. Many things I've read said that it's best to store the not-quite-ripe tomatoes in a brown bag, as the contained gas aids in ripening.

My question is this - is the purpose of enclosing it simply to speed up the ripening, or is the final product a superior tomato? The reason I ask is that after a very slow start, my tomatoes are coming in faster than I can give them away, and with a ton of newly blushed tomatoes on the table, would it make more sense to simply let them sit out in the open, ripening more slowly?

[Father'sDaughter]

I've never used the bag method. From what I've heard, it is used to speed up ripening, but I have no idea how it affects flavor.

All mine are picked at first blush, put in a tray, and used as they ripen. They all ripen at a different pace, and some hold better once ripe than others. Every once on a while I have too many that have to be eaten immediately, but not that often.

[Labradors2]

I ripen my tomatoes on trays in the basement. I like to see which ones are getting ripe first.

When I have too many, I put them in 1 gallon freezer bags and freeze them for making sauce with later.

I've heard that putting them in a brown bag with a ripe banana will speed ripening (because of the gasses released) but I've never tried it.

Linda

[enchant]

Thanks, folks. I think I'll just leave them out on the table and forget the bags.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by enchant

Thanks, folks. I think I'll just leave them out on the table and forget the bags.

That's what I do. Also, if they are heirlooms I tend to put them stem-side-down (upside down) as the bottom tends to get soft and can rot if all the weight of the tomato is pushing on it.

[JamesL]

Brown bagging will speed ripening as you are keeping the E gas in an enclosed space. I have used it on tomatoes "one off" to accelerate the process by a day or so. In that context, have not noticed any changes to taste.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Brown bagging will speed ripening as you are keeping the E gas in an enclosed space. I have used it on tomatoes "one off" to accelerate the process by a day or so. In that context, have not noticed any changes to taste.

The E gas being referred to is ethylene gas which tomatoes produce naturally as part of the ripening process/

Putting the fruits in a bag does increase that gas and to me the most important concern is that in the winter in southern areas partially ripe tomatoes are gassed artificially in huge tanks and that leads to the often anemic looking not so good tasting fruits that are shipped elsewhere.

So, to be honest, I used to use the bag method, putting a slice of apple in there also helped since they give off E gas as well, but after I understood the whole process and the artificial gassing, nope, never did it again.

Right now on the counter in the kitchen are some Desters, some Istras, a Liz Birt and a Giannini that Freda brought in this AM when she was here and all are on a plate. bottom down, just ripening naturally.

Carolyn

[Gardeneer]

Perhaps trying to use BAG method ( w/ slices of apple, good source of E gas) to ripen immature greens at the end of season might be a trick. But in-the-season fruits picked at some color break would ripen for me in open air , in a few days, just fine, as I am not in a hurry
YMMV

Gardeneer

[taboule]

In summary: skip the bag.