NOT SURE TO DO WITH ALL MY TOMATOES

[gundogblue]

Hi,
With Sept almost over, I've canned 92 quarts of tomatoes, and made 16 quarts of tomatoe paste, but I still have tons of tomatoes on the vines that are still green. Should I leave them until the frost kills the plant, or should I pick all the green ones and hope they will ripen in my kitchen, and basement? I'm hopeing alot of the green tomatoes will still ripen before a frost sets in especially my Roma tomatoes I have enough of them on the vine to can serveral quarts yet, and I probebly have enough green tomatoes of other varietys on the vine to can another 24 quarts when ripe.
Thanks for any info,
Paul

[petalfuzz]

I think we were just talking about this in another thread. When the forecast is for frost, get out and pick all the green tomatoes. Then put them in paper bags and can them up as they ripen indoors. Works like a charm. Congratulations on such a great harvest! I've only canned 12 pints of plain tomatoes and 6 quarts of sauce. It was a lousy season for us here.

[Sage Hermit]

I would appreciate a link to that discussion. I am in the same boat.

Had just harvested all mine and wonder what to do with the toms that had insects and the plant itself. Compost it into the bed they were raised in? Compost in new tomato pile? I fear composting insect eaten toms into the bed themselves might have negative effects next year when I transplant in more toms.
Thank you

[gundogblue]

Thanks for the info I really appriciate it, sorry to hear your area had a bad year, but I'm a bit suprized to hear that. I have a very close friend who lives in I guess it would be considered central Ohio, anyway I always thought that your weather was very much like ours in northeastern IL, well I wish you a very aboundent harvest next year.
Paul

[hit or miss]

Pickled green tomatos and green tomato salsa would be a good way to use up the green ones!

[Stepheninky]

If you have a building or garage you can also pull up the plant, and then just pick the green ones as they ripen on the vine. The stress to the plant of being pulled up and thats its getting little to no light causes the plant to hurry up and ripen the fruit. Done this way they will probably taste better, have full developed seed if you are wanting to save the seeds.

[jal_ut]

You can pick green tomatoes and let them ripen indoors, but the flavor will never be as good as vine ripened. If you have pink tomatoes they will have good flavor when picked and ripened indoors. These will probably be ready for canning in 3 or 4 days. You can cover your plants with plastic sheathing and protect them from frost and let the tomatoes ripen on the vines. This makes for the best flavor.

[WAYNE BODKINS]

A very nice problem to have!!

[SP8]

I used to put any green ones I had in a bag with a ripe red apple and they were good to go in no time.