Can You Ripen a Tomato Once It's Cut?
If your tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) has a heavy fruit yield, these juicy treats may remain green for a long time if your plant's photosynthesis processes does not match the fruits' immediate energy needs for reddening or ripening. It is possible to ripen a tomato once it is cut from the vine. Look for light green to pink tomatoes that have almost reached full size to pick for successful ripening.
Ripening Candidates and Cutting
Newly formed tomatoes are green for almost two months as they reach full size. Only then do they begin their color change to a deep, ripe red with a firm texture, depending on the variety. Do not simply pull these fruits from the plant -- use gardening shears to cut them away to prevent any damage to the skin. If you see any small green fruits, avoid picking these for ripening off the vine. They are too small to fully ripen before rot and decay set in.
Tomatoes depend on a certain temperature range for ripening -- cooler temperatures slow or stop the ripening process. For example, a steady, cool temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit generates a ripe tomato in about a month. In general, keep ripening tomatoes at 68 to 77 F. Don't try to ripen tomatoes in a sunny spot, such as on a windowsill, because the strong rays stimulate decay, rather than ripening. When placed in a warm, dark area of your home, you should see a ripe tomato after 14 days at 70 F.
Tomatoes produce ethylene gas as a ripening stimulant. You can take advantage of this gas by placing the tomatoes in an open cardboard box with their cut stems facing upward. The emitted gas becomes trapped momentarily around the fruits for accelerated ripening. A paper bag, or even covering the tomatoes lightly with a piece of newspaper, also creates an ethylene-rich space. To decrease ripening time further, add a banana or apple to the tomato pile. Emitting the same gas, all the fruits quickly ripen. Check the tomatoes daily for ripe fruits.
Instead of cutting the tomatoes individually from the plant, which may lead to some fruit damage, try cutting the entire stalk from the ground and hanging it indoors. By choosing a warm space away from direct sun, these tomatoes ripen in the same manner as cut fruits. Check the tomatoes diligently so they do not fall to the floor. Place a bowl with some mulch under the hanging tomato plant to provide a landing pad for falling fruits.
Writing professionally since 2010, Amy Rodriguez cultivates successful cacti, succulents, bulbs, carnivorous plants and orchids at home. With an electronics degree and more than 10 years of experience, she applies her love of gadgets to the gardening world as she continues her education through college classes and gardening activities.