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| Still have some tomatoes I picked in Sept when we had some frost advisories - a lot rotted, I've been throwing them out, made some fresh tomato sauce a few times. Pastes and hybrid beefsteaks seem to be ripening the best but the heirlooms are just getting wrinkled (even though we turned off the dehumidifier) and not really ripening - the Cherokee Purple look pink. Wondering if I should keep tossing the wrinkled ones, or if they'd be any good to dehydrate? I'm going out now to pick what I can - I think maybe everything (and make green tomato pickles, relish, salsa) since it's supposed to get to mid-30's this weekend, and next few days might have rain so I don't know how much picking I'll be able to do after today. Anything that shows any color I guess should be left to ripen and not used for green tomato recipes? But I hate to just throw them out in a few weeks if they rot or wrinkle. Is it OK to use tomatoes that are at breaker stage in the recipes I mentioned? Or does anybody have any tips for ripening - like move from basement (50's) to house (mid-60's)? Though I'm not sure DH will really care for that - after I've finally made some headway with the ripe tomatoes I had in the garage, laundry room and kitchen a while back ;-) |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Their is no genetic reason why a "heirloom" tomato variety should ripen any differently than a hybrid variety Ripening is tied directly to conditions - stage of development when picked, health of the plant when fruit picked, ambient temperatures and humidity provided, etc. Personally all of my late fruit are ripened out on the kitchen counter at normal room temperatures and humidity but out of direct sun. Single layers and resting on the stem end. Dave |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 13:46
| How cool are you storing them at? I'd guess that it's cooler than 55 and the humidity is low (causing them to wrinkle). Breakers could be used for green as long as still firm. I never recommend leaving picked tomatoes to be placed in the sun. I'd go ahead and use them up how ever you wish. |
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| I was wondering if the heirlooms had thinner skins so were getting dehydrated even with the dehumidifier off, hybrids and pastes have thicker skins? Got a lot of breakers today - made sure they were Stage 2 or more to be sure they'd ripen, I can go back out Thurs afternoon or maybe Friday since we only have about 20% chance of rain Friday - Friday night is supposed to be the first cold one but I'll keep an eye on the weather. |
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- Posted by lucilleclifton Zone 4 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 17:12
| I had good luck wrapping my green heirloom tomatoes in newspaper and storing in a box in a single layer on my counter. Slowly they are ripening. I did notice that one is slightly wrinkled on the end, but it tasted fine. Worth a try if you want to still hold out hope for more ripe ones. |
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