Here Are The Signs That You Are Picking Tomatoes All Wrong (And How to Fix It for Juicy Results)

You’ve nurtured your tomatoes perfectly, and they’re now fully ripe on the vine, but you decide to wait just a few more days before harvesting… only to find they taste off! What went wrong? Could it be that you’re picking tomatoes the wrong way?

Well, you just might be!

There are a few key signs to watch out for when harvesting tomatoes to ensure they’re picked at their peak. In this article, I’ll bust a few long-standing gardening myths and dive deeper into how tomatoes ripen.

Stick around if you want to enjoy your tastiest tomato harvest yet!

Should You Let Ripe Tomatoes Sit On The Vine?

First, I am going to talk about vine-ripened tomatoes.

We’ve all heard it: the best-tasting tomatoes are those that ripen fully on the vine. Sounds like a perfect idea, right? Wrong!

You know, this whole vine-ripened tomato myth is leading gardeners like us to unnecessary crop loss. This perhaps leads to millions of pounds of tomatoes going to waste because most gardeners are clinging to an old gardening myth.

The truth is, allowing tomatoes to ripen completely on the vine can lead to a host of problems. Think about it – birds pecking at them, worms boring in, and rain causing splits.

My garden has seen it all, and it’s always a bummer to lose those beautiful tomatoes to issues that could have been avoided.

The Secret To Perfectly Ripe Tomatoes

So, how do tomatoes actually ripen? It all comes down to ethylene, a compound that tomatoes (and many fruits) produce naturally. When a tomato reaches maturity, it starts releasing ethylene, which then triggers the ripening process.

However, the idea that tomatoes ripen better on the vine is largely a commercial myth.

You see, commercial farms pick tomatoes at the mature green stage to avoid bruising during transport. These tomatoes are then gassed with ethylene to turn them red, but this process doesn’t necessarily improve their flavor.

So, the next time you hear someone bragging about their vine-ripened tomatoes, remember – it’s all about perception, not reality.

Finding That Sweet Tomato Spot

The key to picking the perfect tomato is knowing the breaker stage. This is when tomatoes start changing color at the blossom end and are about 30-50% ripe.

At this stage, the tomato is cut off from the plant and will continue to ripen beautifully off the vine.

Leaving them on the plant beyond this stage doesn’t improve flavor but does expose them to potential damage.

I’ve learned that picking tomatoes at this stage avoids a lot of heartbreak. I used to wait for them to be fully red, only to find them pecked by birds or split because of the rain.

Now, I harvest when they’re just starting to show color and finish ripening indoors.

Also read: 10 Mistakes You Should NEVER Make If You Want Plump, Juicy Tomatoes From Your Containers

Ripening Tomatoes Off The Vine

Now that you know when to pick your tomatoes, let’s talk about how to finish ripening them.

The best method is to bring them indoors to a room-temperature environment (65-75°F) away from direct light. I love keeping mine on my kitchen counter, in the darkest corner.

And here’s another trick: place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana to speed up ripening. Those fruits release ethylene, which helps your tomatoes ripen faster.

When the tomato season is in full swing, I spread them out to slow down the process. Storing them in a cool but not cold environment prevents the flavor from getting ruined.

Trust me, no one wants a tomato that tastes like it’s been in the fridge for weeks!

So, the myth of the vine-ripened tomato is just that – a myth. Picking tomatoes at the breaker stage and finishing ripening off the vine can save you from a lot of losses and even improve your yields.

Even though some gardeners swear by vine-ripened tomatoes, studies show that they taste just as good if picked at the 30-50% ripeness stage and ripened off the vine.

It’s all in our heads – believing that vine-ripened is better simply because it’s how we’ve always done it. In reality, picking tomatoes earlier can actually lead to better quality and fewer pests.

Also read: This Is How Much Sun You Need To Give Your Tomatoes To Have Them Bursting With Flavor