The Best Way to Ripen Green Tomatoes

After all that effort of growing tomatoes, the last thing you want to do is to throw away green tomatoes. This is a foolproof way of ripening tomatoes. I have used this method for many years; it's simple and easy.

There is a perception that tomatoes can be difficult to ripen once the main summer is past. In October, as light levels drop, the plant slows down, and the fruit appears to be unripe. The tomato plants still have loads of green tomatoes, and chutney isn't the solution. 

When it's turning chilly, and you feel the best of the summer and early autumn sun has passed, cut the tomatoes off the plant on the vine. Bring them indoors and lay them on cardboard/newspaper in a spare room, conservatory or on a sunny windowsill, and they will ripen. The Sunday Gardener has used this simple method to ripen tomatoes for several years without fail. The vines need to be somewhere warm, and the fruit will ripen.

Next up, ideas for what to do with a glut of tomatoes