Tomatoes

I have lots of big green tomatoes on my plants still unripe, is there any point giving them any longer - any chance they'll ripen now - I live in Yorkshire and it's getting cold.

Am I best picking them now and trying to ripen them? (I have had limited success with this so far - as in one tomato going red!) I don't want to ask the neighbour to water them whilst we are on holiday if it is pointless.

Such a shame as they are great plants with lots of fruits whoever alas we are yet to eat any!!

Many thanks

EGW x

 

Don't know about growing - but I've had success getting my tomatoes ripened in a drawer.

Other people have suggested windowsills or next to a ripe banana or tomato

 

Thanks guys. They are outside, I think I'll pick them all before I go on holiday on Friday, which will save anyone looking after them whilst I am away. I have tried next to an apple/banana on a windowsill etc but stil not much luck - I'll keep perservering - hopefully we'll have better weather next year!!

 

Roll your sleeves up and make a lot of chutney:D

 

Ellie - if your toms are in a greenhouse you can dig them up, shake off the soil and hang them upside down in the GH. So long as there is no frost they'll ripen and will taste a bit better than picking them green and ripening indoors.
You could safely still hang on for a few weeks though and you'll find that they'll slowly ripen.
Our GH toms are finished now but we've still got quite a few in a polytunnel and I don't expect to have to pick any green ones to ripen indoors until the end of October.

(Edit) Oops I didn't read your post properly. I see your toms are outside so best pick them!!

 

Well I have brought them all in and every windowsill is full of them now, I hope some will have started going red by the time I get back from holiday - but I won't get my hopes up!

Hubby is not going to be pleased when he gets home, every available space is filled with tomatoes or cooking apples!!

Cheers EGW x

 

Ha Ha I said to my husband, shall I take them all to Turkey, they'll quickly ripen there! He didn't seem too keen on using our meagre luggage allowance on my tomatoes.

Ah well, they are tastier over there anyway..

 

I made red tomato chutney this week. 12 lbs tomatoes yielded 4 and half jars but it is delicious. Year before last we were still getting red tomatoes from the green house in November. I am going to leave mine a bit longer where they are in the greenhouse.

 

Well they are all still green or green and brown (and in the bin) Should have left them on the plant as it is lovely and warm now never mind - hopefully I'll have better luck next year.

Won't be making chutney as I have a house full of bramley apples to make chutney out of yet.

xx

 

I'm amazed that my tomatoes are still ripening! If I had followed advice in my magazine, I'd have taken them all off the plants last month and like you Ellie, would have ended up with a draw full of unusable tomatoes.
My 2 yr old grandson loves going into the greenhouse with a tub and asking me to pick them for him. I swear he cn eat his own weight in cherry tomatoes!

Di
xx