Secrets of tomato ripening at home

When growing tomatoes on the street, harvesting is carried out when most of the tomatoes are still not quite ripe. This is due to the lack of heat and sun: in most parts of Russia, the summer passes quickly, and frosts start from the beginning of autumn. Ripening must be done according to certain rules, otherwise the taste of the fruit will be spoiled.

Why spend

When ripening (ripening) the tomato reaches its maturity. Its taste properties change in a positive direction, the color of the skin becomes red, and the flesh acquires juiciness and sweetness. Ripening is a necessary step in the cultivation of tomatoes, since unripe fruits cannot be eaten. They are devoid of taste and, moreover, will cause poisoning of the body.

The process is most often carried out at home. The optimum conditions for tomatoes are created under which they begin to change. Ripened tomatoes in taste and color are no different from their predecessors, which ripened on the bushes in the greenhouse. They are used for any purpose: canned, cut into salads, salted, pickled, harvested tomato juices and pasta.

When and how to collect

Not only in the open field, but also in the greenhouse there are green tomatoes. Harvesting depends on the period of ripening varieties. If the tomato variety is characterized by late fruit picking, then they should be harvested no earlier than August. The main point - to collect unripe tomatoes is necessary before the start of frost. At low nighttime temperatures (below zero), the taste begins to deteriorate, and the fruit itself is rotting.

When collecting tomatoes, they should reach their size, which is peculiar to the variety; a blush may weakly protrude on the skin. Tear off the fruit with a stem, put in rows in a basket or wooden box. Since the flesh of green tomatoes is pretty hard, you can not be afraid to damage the skin.

If a tomato bush is infected with late blight, rot, or other fungal diseases or viruses, then it is not advisable to pick tomatoes growing on it. There is a high probability that a diseased tomato will infect a healthy one, and as a result, the entire crop will be ruined. However, if there is a small lesion on the fetus, it must be scalded with boiling water or put in hot water at 60-70 degrees before storage. Infections at high temperatures die, and the tomato will be safe, it can be eaten.

How to speed up ripening and its methods

Harvested green vegetables are brought into the house or a warm room and left to ripen. In this case, you need to pay attention to a few points:

1. Dry fruit. After harvesting, all tomatoes must be wiped dry, moisture on the skin is not allowed, as the fruits spoil quickly.
2. Ambient temperature The temperature should be in the range of 15 to 25 degrees. The warmer the house, the faster the ripening.
3. To speed up the process, put a red tomato to the ripening tomatoes. It causes redness in neighboring fruits due to ethylene released.

Normal way

Tomatoes are poured into a cardboard box and placed in a dark, but dry place at a temperature of 22-25 degrees Celsius. Top box cover with a dark cloth.After 3-4 days, the tomatoes are turned over to the opposite side so that the color becomes a beautiful color. After 2 weeks, even very green fruits ripen and are ready to eat.

In the sun

To quickly get red and sweet tomatoes, put them in rows on the sunny windowsill. The ripening happens very quickly, so the vegetables are constantly monitored so that they do not over-sing. If you continue to keep ripe vegetables in the sun, they become ugly, shriveled, and some of the taste is lost. It is usually enough a week for all the tomatoes to reach the desired condition.

In the package

Green tomatoes are placed in a plastic bag, while the top of the bag is not closed, so that there is a constant flow of air. Package hung up curtains, horizontal bar, to any support. Tomatoes are left hanging for several days; every week the crop is checked and the ripe fruits are harvested.

Further storage

Ripe vegetables are stored in a cool place. It can be a fridge or basement. When storing tomatoes must be without visible damage. Put the harvest in the package without tying it, and cleaned in the refrigerator. The shelf life of ripe tomatoes is not more than 2 weeks. It is not advisable to store vegetables at room temperature, they deteriorate in 2-3 days.

How to suspend ripening

Some gardeners, on the contrary, want to extend the ripening period of tomatoes until autumn. This allows feast on ripe fruits even at the beginning of winter. To suspend ripening, vegetables are stored in a cool place with a temperature of not more than 15 degrees Celsius. Ideal storage room - cellar, basement, attic. Tomatoes are placed in boxes or boxes, loosely covered with lids and make several ventilation holes in it. Boxes or boxes are cleaned in the basement, where vegetables will be stored for several weeks.

Instead of boxes, tomatoes can be folded in plastic bags and hung from the cellar ceiling. Low temperature will stop ripening, however, it does not contribute to its complete cessation, it proceeds with low intensity.

Sometimes the bushes are dug up tomatoes from the greenhouse or open ground directly from the rhizome and suspended by the root to the ceiling, without separating the tomatoes from the branches. Tomatoes will be sung directly on the bush, because the stalk continues to supply the fruits with essential nutrients for some time.

In case of violation of the technology of collecting and storing fruits, the harvest can be completely ruined. Ripening is considered a natural procedure and does not harm the quality of tomatoes, but only improves the taste characteristics.