When October rolls around, many home gardeners face the same frustrating problem: healthy plants loaded with stubborn green tomatoes that just won’t change color. If you are wondering how to get those tomatoes to ripen—or what you can cook with them if they don’t—you are in the right place.
Don't let that end-of-season harvest go to waste. Here is why your tomatoes stopped ripening and the best ways to put them to use.
Why Are Your Tomatoes Still Green?
Before fixing the problem, it helps to know why your tomatoes stalled out in the first place. There are a few common culprits:
The Autumn Equinox: Tomato plants are photosensitive. Once the days get shorter than the nights in the fall, the plants naturally stop ripening their fruit.
Temperature Issues: Tomatoes have a ripening sweet spot between 68°F and 77°F (20°C to 25°C). If the weather gets too cold, or if it spikes above 85°F (29°C), the ripening process slows to a halt.
Plant Stress: Damage from heavy storms, vines falling off their supports, or diseases like blight can pause ripening. Inconsistent watering or using a fertilizer that is too heavy in nitrogen can also keep fruit green.
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors
Pulling up your carefully nurtured plants can be sad, but clearing space for winter vegetables like lettuce is a smart move. Fortunately, green tomatoes will continue to ripen off the vine if you give them the right environment.
First, let's clear up a few misconceptions. To ripen off the vine, tomatoes do not need sunlight, they do not need to stay attached to the plant, and they don't need extra water.
What they do need is warmth. Since average home temperatures usually fall right into that ideal 68°F to 77°F range, bringing them inside is the easiest fix.
The Cardboard Box Method: Pick all your unripe fruit and place them in an open cardboard box. Keep the box uncovered so you can check on them easily.
Keep Them Together: You don't need to separate the partially ripe tomatoes from the fully green ones. Partially ripe tomatoes release ethylene gas, which actually encourages the green ones to turn red faster.
Add an Apple or Banana: Want to speed things up even more? Toss a ripe banana, apple, or pear into the box to boost the ethylene gas levels.
Avoid Direct Sun: Keep your boxes out of direct sunlight, which can scorch the tomatoes or cause their skins to become tough.
Some tomatoes will ripen in a few days, while smaller ones might take a few weeks.
Are Green Tomatoes Safe to Eat?
There is a common myth floating around the internet that green tomatoes are toxic. This simply isn't true.
While green potatoes contain a harmful alkaloid called solanine, green tomatoes contain a different compound called tomatine, which is perfectly safe. Generations of people—especially in the southern United States—have enjoyed green tomatoes without any health issues.
The Best Ways to Cook Green Tomatoes
If you have a massive glut of unripe tomatoes, you don't have to wait for all of them to turn red. Unripe tomatoes aren't sweet, but they bring a wonderful zing, crunch, and firmness to dishes because they hold their shape beautifully when cooked.
You can eat them raw or cooked. Here are a few tasty ways to use them up:
Sliced: Try frying them up for classic southern-style fried green tomatoes, toss them raw into a fresh salad, or pickle them for a tangy snack.
Chopped: Dice them up for a zesty salsa, add them to curries, or mix them into a hearty green tomato chili or pasta sauce. They even work surprisingly well in baked pies.
Pureed: Cook and blend your green tomatoes to create a flavorful, thick green soup.
Preserves: Unripe tomatoes are fantastic for bulking up preserves. A sweet green tomato relish is perfect on burgers and hot dogs. You can also make a rich green tomato chutney with sweet red onions and malt vinegar. Chutney pairs beautifully with cheese and cured meats, and jars of it make great holiday gifts.
Whether you decide to bring them indoors to finish ripening or turn them into a batch of tangy salsa, those lingering green tomatoes are packed with flavor just waiting to be used.