3 Ways on How to Ripen Tomatoes From your Garden

Tomatoes can be served either fresh and ripe or raw. Depending on your taste, tomatoes will always taste great whether ripe or raw. But if you happen to love eating tomatoes ripe, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will help you ripen your tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

In this article, we will teach you how to ripen tomatoes from your garden. Garden fresh tomatoes are the best kind of tomatoes. What even makes it better is when you eat it ripe and fresh. That’s why if you harvest it prematurely there’s still a way to ripen it and eat it fresh.

You don’t have to worry about picking tomatoes that are raw in your garden. Just follow these methods of ripening a tomato. And you might find yourself eating a fresh bowl of tomatoes right out of your garden. So relax and read on to know more about how to ripen tomatoes.

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Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Known to be as the most nutritious fruit to have the highest antioxidant lycopene level. Yes, tomatoes are actually fruits but are categorized as vegetables. Tomatoes are known to have a lot of nutritional value. Just like vitamins, minerals, and other health benefits.

This fruit is easy to grow and harvest. This is one of the reasons why most gardeners plant this crop. The other reason is that it provides a lot of health benefits. Such as preventing cancer and heart diseases that are dangerous to the body. Tomatoes are also known to improve overall skin health.

Tomatoes are also known to have an abundance of lycopene. Lycopene can be found in red tomatoes, this is why eating ripe tomatoes are preferred over raw. These are just some of the health benefits that you can get from eating tomatoes. So eat more tomatoes to stay healthy always.

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Tips on Growing Tomatoes at Home

If you’re planning to plant tomatoes in your garden, here are some tips to help you grow the best crop. The first tip is to determine first whether you will plant the tomatoes by seeding or by seedlings. This will help you plan out in advance what you will do with your garden.

Next, if you plan on planting the tomatoes by seeding, prepare the soil beforehand. Remember to check the acidity level of the soil before planting. Remove the weeds from the soil and put up a weed barrier to protect the seeds. Give it enough sunlight and water for it to grow properly.

If you’re planning to plant it by seedlings, it’s best to find a suitable spot in your garden for it to grow. But before you plant the seedlings make sure that the tomato seedlings that you buy are of good quality. Don't buy seedlings that look like they won't survive for a couple of days.

Everything you Need to Know About Tomatoes

3 Ways on How to Ripen Tomatoes From your Garden

Now that you have an idea of what health benefits that you can get from eating tomatoes and how to grow them. It’s time to know how to ripen tomatoes from your garden. These 3 ways will help you speed up the ripening process of your tomatoes. 

#1 - The Paper Bag Method

This is the simplest method that you can do and follow at home without any complicated work. All you need to do is to follow these simple tricks and you’ll find yourself with a couple of ripe tomatoes at home. Remember to follow the procedure properly to get better results.

how to ripen tomatoes - The Paper Bag Method

What You’ll Need

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    Brown paper bag
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    Cloth
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    Water

Step-by-Step Procedure

  • The first step in this procedure is to use the cloth and water to clean the tomatoes. Clean the tomatoes from dirt and other substances. That might hinder the ripening process. This will allow you to store the tomatoes in the paper bag without any problems.
  • The next step is to put the clean tomatoes inside of the brown paper bag. Make sure that the number of tomatoes that you put in the bag just right. Putting too much in one bag will destroy the paper bag. It will also squish other tomatoes in the bag.
  • Finally, leave the tomatoes in the bag for a couple of days. Remember to check the bag regularly for molds and bruises. This process will prevent tomatoes from the bag to overripe and affect the other tomatoes in the bag. Once the tomatoes are ripe you can already remove them.

#2 - Ripening by Cardboard Box

Just like the ripening process of the brown paper bag. Using a cardboard box will also speed up the ripening process. This is because it traps the ethylene gas within the cardboard box. Which speeds up the ripening process. Just follow these simple steps to achieve perfect results.

how to ripen tomatoes - Ripening by Cardboard Box

What you’ll need

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    Old newspaper
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    Cardboard box
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    Cloth
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    Water 

Step-by-Step Procedure

  • The first thing that you need to do is to clean the tomatoes with your cloth and water. Make sure that you remove the soil or dirt on the skin of the tomato. Doing this will improve the ripening process of the tomatoes in the box. Be careful when you move the cardboard box because it might tear.
  • After cleaning it, the next step is to place the tomatoes inside of the cardboard box. Don’t overload the box with tomatoes because if you do it will ruin and squish the other tomatoes. Just put the right amount one box. Add additional boxes if needed, never overload the box.
  • Finally, after loading the tomatoes cover it with newspaper. This will speed up the ripening process of the tomatoes because it will trap the gas inside. Remove tomatoes that are rotten and have molds on its skin. Check the box daily to avoid molds and overripe tomatoes.

#3 - Pot Transferring Method

The last method on our list is exclusive only to potted tomatoes. If you happen to plant your tomatoes in a pot, then this method might be what you’re looking for. This involves transferring your potted plant to a different location. This is to speed up the ripening process of the tomatoes.

how to ripen tomatoes - Pot Transferring Method

What You'll Need

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    Cloth
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    Water
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    Gardening gloves
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    Garage or Cellar

Step-by-Step Procedure

  • In this method, the first thing that you need to do is to clean the tomatoes in the pot. Remove the dirt from the tomatoes and remember not to remove them from the plant. Removing the dirt will improve the ripening process of the tomatoes.
  • After cleaning it, the next step is to use your gardening gloves and move the pot. You can choose between your garage or cellar as your place to ripen your tomatoes. This method works best when the tomatoes on your pot are on the point of ripening.
  • Keep a watchful eye on your potted tomatoes because it might overripe. This method produces the best-tasting tomatoes on the market. This natural method of ripening tomatoes is what most gardeners use on their home. It’s a simple yet effective way of ripening your tomatoes.

Conclution

There are a lot of methods of ripening a tomato at home. Choose the one that best suits your style and comfort at home. These methods are proven to be effective for most gardeners. And it has a very positive feedback from the gardener’s community.

So, did you learn anything from these methods? What method is your favorite? Please like and share this article with your fellow gardeners. Thanks for reading! We hope that you’ve learned something from this article.

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Ella Wilson
 

Hi! This is Ella Wilson, the founder of tinyplantation.com. Being a devotee with plants and gardens, you will find numerous things with me. I have developed enough interest regarding plants that these things do not bore me anymore; instead this has become my passion.