Harvest green tomatoes? Yes - eat green tomatoes? No way
Tomatoes contain a toxic alkaloid as a natural defense. In the immature state, the concentration of solanine is at a level that is harmful to human health. Eating a single green tomato causes severe nausea and stomach ache. In the course of ripening, the high level of the toxin is reduced. Good to know that a tomato does not necessarily have to dangle from the plant.
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If cool temperatures prevent the natural ripening process in autumn, skilled hobby gardeners therefore resort to plan B. As if mother nature were left behind, she gave tomatoes the ability to ripen later. The green tomatoes are harvested like their fully ripe counterparts. What follows is as simple as it is ingenious.
This is how green tomatoes ripen
Unless you are growing one of the rare green tomato varieties, you are subjecting the unripe fruits to post-ripening. How to proceed:
- Harvest green tomatoes that turn yellow or red from the roots
- wrap each fruit individually in newspaper
- store in a warm place without direct sunlight
- Temperatures of 18 to 20 degrees promote the ripening process
- alternatively put in a cardboard box, together with a fully ripe apple or a banana
If the temperatures drop early in the year, tomato plants often still present a lush fruit curtain. In this case, pull the entire plant out of the ground. If possible, leave the climbing aid on the shoots for stabilization. In the warm boiler room, hang the stem upside down from the ceiling. The tomatoes ripen within a few days and can be harvested as normal.
Tips & Tricks
The toxic solanine is also found in all green parts of the plant without breaking down. Therefore, do not let your playful cat nibble on it or mix the leaves into the rabbit green food. Your furry housemates will not survive this meal unharmed.
