Harvesting tomatoes can be trickier than one might think. Not sure exactly when and how to harvest? Read on.
Because tomatoes come in so many different colors, it’s really hard to use that as a guide. Even among red tomatoes there are several different shades of ripeness and some red tomatoes will never get quite as rosy as others. And then there are the orange, yellow, purple, black, pink, striped, and even white tomatoes.
If you know a variety well, you can rely on the color. But if it is your first time growing a particular variety it can be confusing to know exactly what to expect.
And of course you can’t rely on size like you might with zucchini or other squash, because tomatoes come in all sizes from tiny cherry tomatoes, to beefsteak tomatoes the size of a grapefruit.
Tomato Harvest
So what is a good rule of thumb for harvesting tomatoes? I have found that the best way to tell if a tomato is fully ripe is when it releases easily from the stem. When they are allowed to ripen on the vine in the sun is when they develop the fullest sweet flavor. And there is just nothing quite so amazing as a fully vine-ripened heirloom tomato.
If you misjudge a bit it’s no tragedy, because as long as they are very colorful, they will have developed the sugars which make home-grown tomatoes stand out from anything you can get in a store. Setting them in a warm windowsill for a day will help develop the color even more.
Some people prefer to monitor the planting date and start more closely watching once its due date nears. I find this actually less fulfilling, though, because there could be a number of factors which delay ripening. For example, a heat wave during pollination, or an early spring cold snap could significantly delay maturity of the plant and ripeness of the tomato.
Another strategy gaining some popularity recently is to pick tomatoes early. The usual reason for this is that the tomatoes are getting pecked at and nibbled on by critters. A mostly ripe but whole tomato is better than a half-eaten fully ripe tomato. Tomatoes will ripen a bit after picking. But the flavor will be a bit more bland when picked before the sugars can fully mature.
Oh – and if you are picking your tomatoes early for whatever reason, before they are ready to release easily from the stem, always use clippers. Otherwise you could pull and damage a prominent stem on your plant.
Once you have picked the first few tomatoes of a particular variety, you will get a feel for what a ripe one will look and taste like.
Harvesting Determinate Tomatoes
Determinate tomatoes produce all of their fruit at once. If you have determinate tomatoes such as San Marzano or Romas, you’ll need a bigger boat. Get your biggest trug because all of those tomatoes will ripen at once, and then the plant will stop bearing after a few weeks.
Determinate tomatoes commonly grown in the US are paste tomatoes. Logical, right? Because we like to make big batches of pasta sauce and need all the tomatoes at once to make sauce. Drivers, start your canners!
Harvesting Indeterminate Tomatoes
Many garden tomatoes, especially heirloom varieties, are indeterminate, which will keep flowering and setting fruit until killed by frost, although colder weather will slow production.
Once your indeterminate tomato plant starts going in the summer, the best practice is to harvest tomatoes daily. Take a basket out to the garden each day to see what has ripened. The best time is when it is cooler, in the morning or in the late afternoon.
While you are looking for ripe fruit, you can also check for any signs of trouble, such as leaf curl or yellowing. And you can remove any damaged or problem fruit so that the plant doesn’’t expend energy on them.
Also, for indeterminate tomato varieties, which continue to produce all season long, picking fruit daily will also encourage the plant to produce more fruit. And while you are out there checking each plant, shake the cage to promote pollination on those indeterminate types.
Once it starts to get cooler, the tomatoes will start to slow down. If you are in an area with frost, it’s a good idea to pick your green tomatoes a week or so before your area’s average first frost date. The more mature ones will ripen indoors if they are stored at room temperature, as long as there is just a hint of red in the skin.
Or make fried green tomatoes.
Enjoy your harvest!!
