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Harvesting Tomatoes and Peppers: Tips for Ripening Green Fruit Before Frost Hits

© Vic Ferri

In a well-planned garden, harvest occurs throughout the summer as vegetables are at peak quality.

How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Before Frost

For tomatoes, the quality is best when they have turned red on the vine and are just slightly soft when squeezed. At this stage the flavour and natural sugars have fully developed. Come fall, however, it it is important to harvest all your tomatoes--even if still green--before frost hits.

Here are some tips on how to handle green tomatoes near the end of the season:

• To hasten the ripening of any remaining green tomatoes, give the roots a little yank to disturb them. This shock will send a signal to that plant that it is time to go to seed.
• Cut back on watering when the tomatoes have reached almost full size.
• Ripen green tomatoes indoors by placing them in a cool, dark place like the basement or garage or even in brown paper bags or on a tray covered with newspapers.
• Pull the entire plant from the ground and hang it upside down in a cool, dark place. As the tomatoes ripen they will fall to the ground.

The best methods for ripening green tomatoes are those that allow the fruit to stay on the vine.

How to Harvest Peppers

Peppers can be harvested whenever they are glossy. Cut the the fruit off the plant, leaving some of the stem attached to the pepper. For maximum sweetness and flavor, let the peppers mature to red.

It usually takes two weeks after the pepper has reached full size for it to ripen to red. If frost threatens, you can ripen them indoors. Simply place the green peppers in brown paper bags or even inside your kitchen cupboard. You can also pull out the entire plant and hang it upside down in a dark place, and let the peppers mature on the vine.

The copyright of the article Harvesting Tomatoes and Peppers: Tips for Ripening Green Fruit Before Frost Hits in Edible Gardens is owned by Jill Florio. Permission to republish Harvesting Tomatoes and Peppers: Tips for Ripening Green Fruit Before Frost Hits in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.