[country_wife]

My tomatoes don't seem to be ripening. I have the small yellow pear tomatoes that have ripened, but so far that's all. I have Early Girl, First Lady, and some heirlooms, all still green!

The weather has been fairly cool; down into the upper 50's at night, until the recent heat wave.

Any suggestions? I know we had plenty of ripe tomatoes by this time last year.

 

[NickieL]

Fried Green Tomatoes?
Green Tomato chutney?
Green Tomato Jam? (tastes just like strawberry jam!)
Salsa Verde?
Pickled green maters?

 

[moonwolf]

The weather has been fairly cool; down into the upper 50's at night, until the recent heat wave.

Any suggestions? I know we had plenty of ripe tomatoes by this time last year.

It's probably not the nights of 50 degrees. It routinely gets down to that or high 40's here in summer and tomatoes ripen...IF there is good warm day temps....and IF the variety is one that ripens 'in time'.
I grew yellow pear before, and they ripened fine, though up here it's usually mid to late August.
I planted mid june from transplants (not yellow pear this year, though) and there are lots of tomatoes in the last 2 weeks starting to grow and still very green. I'm looking forward to some ripening ones the 3rd week of August from that. After that, I'll be hopefully looking starry 'red eyed' from all the ripe ones.
Give it a bit more time...another week, another two weeks and maybe you'll be having LOTS of ripe ones.

 

[NickieL]

I've heard that if you prune the tops of your plants it will cause the plant to stop growing and put it's energy into ripening the existing fruits....but I've never tried it so I don't know if it's true or not.

 

[Phantomfyre]

Stop watching them. Don't you know, a watched tomato never ripens!

The cool nights could be slowing them down, and I'm not sure what part of Ohio you're in, but a friend up east of Cleveland says it's been horribly dry this year. That won't help things, either.

Mine were all just sitting there all nice and green until this heat hit, and I got busy and it was so hot I didn't get out into the garden for a couple of days, literally a couple days - 2 or 3, and next thing I knew, I had ripe 'maters! Several varieties, boom, all at once! And I swear, they were completely green last I looked!

 

[country_wife]

Stop watching them. Don't you know, a watched tomato never ripens!

The cool nights could be slowing them down, and I'm not sure what part of Ohio you're in, but a friend up east of Cleveland says it's been horribly dry this year. That won't help things, either.

Mine were all just sitting there all nice and green until this heat hit, and I got busy and it was so hot I didn't get out into the garden for a couple of days, literally a couple days - 2 or 3, and next thing I knew, I had ripe 'maters! Several varieties, boom, all at once! And I swear, they were completely green last I looked!

lol..that's what I expect..all the tomatoes to ripen at once.

 

[NickieL]

I wish mine would ripen all at once! all I get are 4 or 5 at a time, not enough to can sauce!

 

[Shawna]

Hi Country Wife!

I am also in Ohio and have the same thing happening. I have giant, big, beautiful GREEN tomatoes :baby04: I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for them to turn! But it's worked out good that they haven't as I have been swamped with beans, cukes, okra and summer squash to put up.

What part of Ohio are you in? We are in Huron county. I think about another 2 weeks and we'll be swimming in red tomatoes

Shawna

 

[TSYORK]

Green Tomato Pickles are out of this world.

 

[Tirzah]

I have also heard what Nickie posted. Prune the ends.

 

[crafty2002]

Fried Green Tomatoes?
Green Tomato chutney?
Green Tomato Jam? (tastes just like strawberry jam!)
Salsa Verde?
Pickled green maters?

I love strawberry jam. This is the first time I ever heard of useing tomatoes and would love to give it a try if you would give me the recipe. Purty Please. Sugar on the top, LOL.
Dennis

 

[Pony]

Mine really seem to be taking their dear sweet time as well, but just started ripening this week. I figure we'll have a tomato explosion any day now.

This year, I have decided to pick as soon as I see a blush on a fruit. I hate missing fruits and then a squirrel gets a bite out of it (just ONE bite and leave the rest; lousy tree rats), or they rot on the vine and doesn't THAT smell lovely?

Nickie, you can pop the tomatoes into the freezer to hold them until you have enough for sauce. When you have enough, take them out of the freezer, run them under water to slip off the skins, and then let them defrost in a large jelly bag. The juice you catch is great for soups or beverages, and the pulp that's left will be much easier to cook down.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaters!

Pony!