Tomatoes love heat, they only take on their pretty color when they are well exposed to the sun or in hot environments. Sometimes, however, even when it's in season, due to bad weather or a drop in temperature, you have trouble finding tomatoes that are ripe enough. Here are some tips to make them ripen faster at home.
Recognizing a ripe tomato
First of all, to know if your tomatoes are ripe, here are some indicators. A ripe tomato will usually be a bright red, yellow, or orange color, depending on the variety. If they have these shades, they are ready to eat. Please note that there are also green tomatoes, so you cannot rely on the color. Indeed, in general, color is not enough to know if your fruit is ripe. To the touch, a ripe tomato is slightly soft but not too soft. If the flesh is still hard, it means they are not yet ripe. If it is slightly soft, the tomatoes are ready to eat.
Tips for ripening tomatoes
First, leave your tomatoes at room temperature, as the cold of the refrigerator will slow ripening, inhibiting ethylene production.
Climacteric fruits
Climacteric fruits such as bananas, apples or avocado are natural sources of ethylene, the plant hormone responsible for fruit ripening. So place one of these ripe fruits in a bag with the tomatoes to speed up the ripening process and help them turn red more quickly. One afternoon is enough for your tomato to ripen. Regularly monitor the progress of your tomatoes at the risk of seeing your fruits rot and be careful not to stack them so as not to crush them.
Newspaper
Alternatively, you can simply wrap the tomatoes, individually, in sheets of newspaper and place them in a dry place. The newspaper will absorb the moisture and lock the tomatoes in their own ethylene production. This will therefore extend their shelf life and help them ripen more evenly. After two or three days, your tomatoes should be perfectly ripe and ready to enjoy.
