Published in the
Contra Costa Times on
Q. Is there anything I can do to get my tomatoes to ripen?
A. Tomatoes on the vine ripen in response to
genetics, light and temperature, and if you live in one of the parts of the Bay
Area where the summer has been cool and foggy, the tomatoes will ripen very
slowly. The plus side is that you may have ripe tomatoes into the winter months
if the temperatures stay mild. It is possible to ripen tomatoes indoors,
although the flavor is not as good as on the vine. Pick a tomato and place in a
brown paper bag with a ripe banana. Place the bag on a shelf for several days,
checking often. The ethylene gas produced naturally by the banana will hasten
the ripening. Some tomatoes tend to ripen more readily in cooler areas.
Next year you may want to look for some
of these cultivars: Oregon Spring, Stupice or Siletz. Cherry tomato varieties
also seem to ripen with cooler temperatures.