How to Harvest and Store Tomatoes

Few pleasures in life equal the taste of a fresh-from-the-garden tomato. If you've gotten carried away and planted more than you could possibly eat off the vine, here's good news: if you pick them at the peak of ripeness, tomatoes retain their flavor and their nutrients more than almost any other vegetable.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Baskets
• Garden Shears
• Gardening Gloves
• Knife
• Scissors

1. Pick most kinds of tomatoes when their color is even and glossy and the texture somewhere between soft and firm.

2. Watch the bottoms carefully; that's where tomatoes start to ripen. Some varieties, primarily large heirloom types, ripen before they reach full color. Pick tomatoes when the skin still looks smooth and waxy, even if the top hasn't turned its mature color (whether red, purple, pink or golden yellow).

3. Cut off the top of the plant, or remove all new flower clusters about a month before the first expected frost. That way, you'll direct the plant's energy into ripening existing tomatoes rather than producing new ones that won't have time to mature.

4. Extend your harvest through light frosts by covering plants with tarpaulins or sheets, but when the first hard frost threatens, pick all remaining fruits.

5. Put unripe tomatoes in a cool dark place, arranging them in a single layer. Check frequently for holes, cracks or even tiny specks of rot and remove any damaged tomatoes immediately - they'll quickly transmit moisture and rot to healthy fruits.

6. Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature for best flavor; they'll keep for a day or two. If you need to keep them longer, put them in the refrigerator. Use the butter compartment if they'll fit; it's the warmest part.

7. Freeze tomatoes, ripe or green, either chopped or made into sauce, for use through the winter. For convenience, use individual freezer containers that hold just enough for one recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• To speed the ripening process, put tomatoes in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Ethylene gas given off by the fruit will hasten the ripening process.

• Once you've picked tomatoes (whether fully ripe or not) keep them away from sunlight. They'll overheat and ripen unevenly.

• Tomatoes are members of the poisonous nightshade family; don't eat any parts of the plant except the fruits.