It's been green for weeks and weeks, only took about 3 days to get to this color once it started turning! Now I have to decide how I want to eat it!

by RetiredNH

24 Comments

  1. shanghainese88

    You don’t have to pick it.

    You can eat it right there on the vine like the squirrels in my yard.

  2. Inner_Republic6810

    Sergeant Beefsteak of the Tomato Police Corps here. Permission to pick granted.

  3. Mou_aresei

    My rule of thumb is to leave a tomato on the vine for a week more after it turns red. It gets much more flavour. If you notice any cracks though, pick right away.

  4. BackFew5485

    Once they start to blush is when I snip them. They don’t get any sweeter ripening on the vine. Plus once they turn bright red, our American Robins love to eat them.

  5. notgoodchemist

    You CAN pick tomatoes as soon as they get color in them. They will ripen on the counter. Not much difference in flavor. Not at all perceptible if you are eating them with/on something.

  6. Yes,so the plant can put more energy in other tomatos.You can pick them at the breaker stage and let them ripen on the counter

  7. Leakyboatlouie

    Pretty sure you should call the tomato inspector first.

    Kidding.

    Pick it, eat it and enjoy it. And don’t give a second thought to the fact that it’s in the deadly nightshade family.

  8. Witchywomun

    I pick them as soon as I start to see them blush. I have a container that I put everything in to finish ripening, in order to maximize exposure to the ethylene gas, my husband refers to it as “the incubator”, lol.

  9. ConflictFine1534

    Once you cut it from the vine, place it near some bananas to speed up the ripening. I learned this from Millennial Gardener when I was about to pick my first tomatoes a few weeks ago.

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