The vine-ripened tomato lie

Have you guys read the article "The vine-ripened tomato lie"? What do you think?
I have had may problems with cracking, and well, I want to know if it's true that it doesn't affect flavor. Notice that the author is not saying to get them green and treat them with ethylene, he is just leaving them on his table for a while.

I have never had my tomatoes crack... but I've only been growing tomatoes for a few years, containers, "row", and SFG. But I have always hated cracked tomatoes so I did research. The crack has to do with the tomatoes skins ability to stretch, much like a pregnant women. Most women get stretch marks, some don't. It's DNA. I buy seeds and plants that are less likely to have a cracking issue, and I've always had luck. I also think store bought tomatoes are nasty. I have had my own tomatoes accidentally knocked off while green and I've ripened them indoors and enjoyed them in a salad with a vine ripened tomato. In fact, I compared the two last week. There is a slight difference between the two. But the difference between store bought tomatoes and home grown tomatoes is huge. So, no I don't agree with the article completely but I do somewhat... I've also found that tomatoes on the vine ripen more quickly... Probably because the plant is choosing which one to turn red not me.

I don't buy organic though. Which I'm sure would be different.

I read the article. I think it's to each his own. I don't care why, but, vine ripened tomatoes taste better than store bought.



As far as ripening in the kitchen. I had a recent rain storm, and I only had a couple toms that were 'almost ripe',I pulled them before they could split from too much rain.



Yes, they will ripen in the house, and if you want to, they still taste pretty good.

But, for me, I do not have that large a table. I have 10 plants, which have given me maybe 2 gallons per day of 'pink' ones. The idea of a garden is to have it 'outside', unless you live in a very cold climate. Just imagine the toms on every flat surface in the house.

littlejo wrote:I read the article. I think it's to each his own. I don't care why, but, vine ripened tomatoes taste better than store bought.



As far as ripening in the kitchen. I had a recent rain storm, and I only had a couple toms that were 'almost ripe',I pulled them before they could split from too much rain.



Yes, they will ripen in the house, and if you want to, they still taste pretty good.

But, for me, I do not have that large a table. I have 10 plants, which have given me maybe 2 gallons per day of 'pink' ones. The idea of a garden is to have it 'outside', unless you live in a very cold climate. Just imagine the toms on every flat surface in the house.

click click delete my comment. I like yours better. +1 :o)

I love, love, love vine-ripened tomatoes, sometimes still warm from the sun. I think ripening them inside might be a good option, though, especially for certain times. If you're going to be out of town or away from home so much that you can't check them as needed or if you have a severe insect infestation, like stink bugs can get here.



I don't like to be completely close-minded to new ideas, so will probably try this at times. What can it hurt? But I'll probably still continue to let as many of my 'maters vine-ripen as possible.

To be honest, I don't let them ripen all the way unless I didn't see them for whatever reason. I pick them when I notice them change off of green. Sometimes it's yellow, sometimes it's more orange. But, I don't ever see red ones. My critters get to them too quickly and they don't like to share with me. And, I don't like to share with them. The tomatoes are still vine-ripened in my eyes, and the taste difference compared to store-bought is still HUGE.

I pick mine from red thru pinkish and bring them inside.

I feel if I pick the pink ones, it'll make room for the smaller lighter ones to grow larger on the vine and the ones in the house are red-ripe in 2 or 3 days anyway and all taste fresh and delish to me.



A variety of color range, some red, some getting there.

In the past, I always waited until my tomatoes were completely ripe before I'd pick them, except when it was going to frost. This year, with the raccoon coming by every night, I'm picking them when they just start to turn orange. I'm riping them on the counter and they are just as good as the ones that ripen on the vine. Very sweet and juicy.



She is right that the commercial growers plant horrible varieties. They are for looks only not taste. But, when they pick them green and then turn them red with that gas, the insides do not get ripe. That's the difference, to me, between ripening a tomato on the counter compared to gassing it to make it red.

I have never cooked with green tomatoes before, but at the end of the season, I take all the little green leftovers and bring them in to ripen. Even from very hard, they will ripen slowly over the course of days to weeks, especially when "housed" with other tomatoes.

I usually allow my tomatoes to get good color all but the shoulders before I bring them in if it's midseason. Unfortunately, that means cracking in some cases, but cracks don't bother me as long as I get them off the vine immediately after they crack! Don't want to share my yummy harvest with bugs!

krazikandiland wrote:I have never had my tomatoes crack... but I've only been growing tomatoes for a few years, containers, "row", and SFG. But I have always hated cracked tomatoes so I did research. The crack has to do with the tomatoes skins ability to stretch, much like a pregnant women. Most women get stretch marks, some don't.

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Ooh, thank goodness we ladies don't crack when we become pregnant?

I always though cracking was mainly from irregular water availability..

Anyway..I love to let them ripen on the vine..unfortunately..there is a low income apt complex a block over and there are parents there that have not taught their kids that stealing is bad...so I have to pick when just turning pink so I get them..or they disappear. But I put them on the window sill and they get red and delicious!

You need an electric fence to light things up a bit, lol.

westie42 wrote:You need an electric fence to light things up a bit, lol.

some times I think it is unfortunate that electric fences are illegal in town lol..

We are going to fence in the yard someday lol..

Oh just to make sure I don't offend anyone...I was not saying just because you live in low income your kids steal! My daughter and grandsons live there lol..

It is just that I know the specific kids and the parents. They were told if caught again the police would be involved. I hate to be mean over garden produce but my garden is no way near where they can "accidentally" get into it! The mom tried that but since it is in the middle of the block and at least 100 ft from public property ..well yea..She was informed that excuse was NOT going to fly!

They were also told if they asked I would give them what I wanted to...guess that isn't good enough.

CindiLou, motion activated lights are pretty inexpensive these days. Think that would be enough to scare the kids off?

I've never really been able to vine ripen my tomatoes. Either the critters get them, or they crack (and then hubby won't eat them that way). So I pick them when they're a deep orange color and then let them ripen on the window sill. Seems to work just fine for me

I've always heard that tomato skin cracking was from uneven watering too.



Cindylou, they make solar motion detector lights now. I've seen them at Harbor Freight and you can order them over the internet if you can't get to a HF easily.



Also, I wouldn't feel guilty about having to get the police involved, if it comes to that. You may be putting into motion some thing that will give those kids a learning experience that their mother isn't providing. Or, possibly the state may get involved and find that the kids need more than their mother can provide. I've always believed every thing is connected to every thing else and without one thing happening, then some thing else can't happen.

Kelejan wrote:Ooh, thank goodness we ladies don't crack when we become pregnant?

Speak for yourself . 10 years later I still have this HUGE stretch mark my daughter gave me. It looks like a C-section scar even though she was delivered without it.

Thank you all for your responses. I think I am going to give it a try. We had a huge epidemic of early blight and was able to save only 1/2 my harvest. Picking them early may help me save more next time. I don't have that many, so I can ripe them in my house.