One thing that I love in the springtime is the taste of a homegrown tomato. The flavor is amazing, and it just takes me to a happy place. Along with watching my kids go through and pick tomatoes and devour them. I want to share with you the tips I have learned along my gardening journey to know when tomatoes are at their perfect ripeness.
How does your tomato look
The color is the first thing that you should notice about the tomato. Depending on the variety you planted it should go from green to slowly turning to its final color. We tend to plant red varieties but last we we came across one variety called yellow boy. This was a bit of a game changer cause it ripened faster than a tomato having to turn red. So we enjoyed those while we waited for the other to ripen. The color should be a deep shade of red and be glossy and shiny.
The feel of the tomato when their ready to be picked
A tomato that is ready to pick should be firm but not hard, and not squishy. The tomato when ready should pull easily from the vine if you’re having to play tug of war with the plant it’s not ready. You can also use garden shears to pick tomatoes when you think they’re ready.
Weather conditions for picking tomatoes
The weather is a big factor in when to pick your tomatoes. Have you ever picked a tomato and the flavor was just okay? Think bad about the weather and the time of day you picked it. If you harvest your tomatoes after you had a lot of rain, the flavor will be diluted and just okay kinda blah. Like the ones from the grocery store just kinda sad. The time of day, when you pick also, plays a role. The best time to pick is in the morning as the sugars in the tomatoes have cooled.
Can you pick tomatoes when their still green?
The shout answer is yes, you can pick tomatoes when there green and bring them inside to finish ripening. You should put the tomatoes after checking for pests into a brown paper bag and place them in a dark spot.
There are a few reasons why you would want to pick the tomatoes early if you know you have a lot of rain coming. Having hot dry weather and then lots of rain will cause the tomatoes to split. Pests are another reason for picking them green. If you’re having trouble keeping up with the insects that love tomatoes too. Go ahead and pick them early so you can enjoy them too. The danger of frost would be another reason to pick them green.
Storing tip
What to do with all the tomatoes you’ve picked? I have learned that to make my salsa I need a lot of tomatoes. So I get my gallon bag load up the tomatoes and pop them into the freezer till I have enough. This is a real game changer cause when you take them out to thaw the skin comes right off and you don’t have to blanch them.
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