Hot temps keeping tomatoes green

SR gardener Pat Munts has words for the wise re: our bountiful crop of green tomatoes this year:

Don’t get me wrong folks. Normally I am a person who looks for the positive in everything.

Being negative takes too much energy and really isn’t much fun in the long run. So what I need to say this week is said from a realist’s point of view.

We better begin finding ways to use up green tomatoes.

Here we are in the middle of August. The average daily high temperature has dropped two degrees since the beginning of August, and we are losing over three minutes of daylight every day. The temperatures are still warm enough but that could change quickly.

To ripen pale red tomatoes off the vine, simply pick them and place them in a single layer in a cardboard box. Set them in a warm, dry place and check them regularly. Set the box near your kitchen to facilitate “harvesting” them. Otherwise, as long as the temperatures are still warm, a garage works well. More here (subscription).