Room to Grow How to ripen green tomatoes

BENTONVILLE — Autumn is always a welcomed time of year in northwest Arkansas.

However, for most gardeners, there's sadness in saying so long to summer. The end of summer means the end of fresh tomatoes. For those gardeners - and their fortunate neighbors - unwilling to let go of summer's bounty, here are a few tips on how to stretch out the season for homegrown tomatoes.

Try digging up the entire plant, root system and all, remove the foliage and hang the vines in a semi-heated area, such as a garage or basement.

Be mindful to pick the tomatoes as they ripen, or you're sure to have mess on the floor.

Another way to ripen green tomatoes is to pick them and bring them indoors for ripening. After picking the tomatoes, wrap them in newspaper and place them in a cardboard box in a cool dry area. Check on them oftenmatoes should be placed in the warmer areas for more immediate ripening, and hold back the immature ones in a cooler area for a later date. Also, green tomatoes will ripen more consistently in a dark location, so avoid placing them on a windowsill.

Green tomatoes have their place - fried on a sandwich, pickled in a jar, corn-breaded and fried with okra, but there's simply no excuse for leaving them on the vine to be ruined by the frost or tossing them into the compost pile. If fried or pickled green tomatoes aren't your thing, then try some of these post-harvest techniques to extend yourfresh-tomato season.

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Mark Bray is a county extension agent with the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Services. His column appears on Sundays. Call him at (479) 271-1060 or e-mail [email protected].

to determine if they've ripened, keeping a close eye for signs of decay. Dispose of any damaged fruit immediately, as rot can spread rapidly in storage.

The main factors to consider when ripening green tomatoes are temperature, light and maturity at harvest. More mature tomatoes that are yellowish or slightly pink will ripen most quickly.

The immature bright green ones are the slowest to ripen and may actually serve you better in the pickle jar or frying pan.

During storage, temperatures should be maintained around 70 degrees F. Tomatoes kept in a warmer location will ripen more quickly than ones in a cooler location.

Thus, the more mature to-