Vine Ripened Tomatoes Aren't What You Think...

The truth is vine ripening doesn’t improve flavor and during heatwaves tomatoes could taste worse if left to vine ripen. In grocery stores it is purely a gimmick to sell them at a higher price. They were very likely picked fully rock hard green but left on the vine to ripen. Most tomatoes you see at the store are picked FULL green with no color so that they ship easily. They are also often varieties that aren’t bread for flavor and grown in input heavy conditions.

Rants aside, picking at the stage where tomatoes have at least 30% or 50% of their final color developed will lead to tomatoes with the same flavor. This has some major benefits:

1) Birds and squirrels go for colorful fruit so no more pecked or chewed in fruit.
2) Protects tomatoes from cracking during rain events
3)They store for longer when ripened indoors
4) They don't over ripen during a heatwave due to excess heat
5) Reduce the load on the plant
6) Makes it easier to try the tomato at different ripening stages which let's you find your favorite flavor zone, there is no right answer!

This is something you don't have to take my word on, just go try it with your tomatoes. I suggest starting with 50% color or ripening so that's easier to gauge when to pick!

[amyk]

Thank you for showing us this! I have lost SO MANY tomatoes waiting for “vine ripened” only to be destroyed by a sudden rain storm 🤬

[urouroniwa]

I was slowly coming to the same conclusion last year. This years tomatoes are *just* starting to turn color so I'll give it a try again soon!

[goodman]

I Went down below and there was no reasons.

[cbdcdiva]

I was today years old when I learned something garden cool!! Thanks Jacques!

[digil]

As always great information, thanks Jacques. Always look forward to your videos and tips!

[scottscriticalmass]

I learned something new today... Thanks Jacques!

[cynthiak]

Thanks for the tip! I had no idea. Will try it this season!

[georgestewart]

Here at my garden in Pennsylvania, as soon as a few tomatoes ripen on the vines, the groundhogs get at them. I have had tomatoes disappear overnight and find others with a bite out all over the yard. The smell is stronger when they vine ripen.

[wordsbymaribeja]

Literally bought some 'vine ripened tomatos' over an hour ago, in lieu of my 7 tomato plants still developing their trusses.

[Dreamzz]

thats funny I thought I was the only one that did this..lol.. I love to pick my tomatoes just before they are rip like you said .. they taste so much better to me and they ripen faster

[marieb]

I've got orange tomatoes that just won't turn red! I'm finna get them things off that vine!

[hillaryburdick]

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you!

[VaultDwellerGal]

Just learning about this now, from this video. Freaking mindblown. It’s my Dumb and Dumber “we’ve landed on the moon!” moment. Thanks!

[gorgurl]

I always wondered if you could harvest before ripe!!! Thanks so much!

[will-by-the-bay]

I had no idea. I lose most of my tomatoes to garden critters. Going to try picking them before they are ripe. Thanks!

[crystalvazquez]

Awesome! Thank you for the information 🌞

[ethanletzer]

I was literally about to Google this, thanks garden hermit!!!!

[IjeomaThePlantMama]

I have a bunch of green tomatoes that I'm waiting to get a little bit of a blush before I harvest. I definitely bought into the "vine ripened" gimmick and didn't pick my first tomato until it was fully read. It was still super tasty, but now this time I won't have to wait as long!

[Homeinprogress]

I can’t wait for my tomatoes to pop up. Lots of sauce to make 😍

[yeevita]

Jacques is just saying this is something to consider. If you find the taste is different and you prefer to ripen completely on the vine, that's fine. Through several years, I have picked tomatoes when they turn color. I used to wait until they softened on the vine and were fully ripe, but I found, especially for heirloom tomatoes, that leaving them that long sometimes changed the flavor to where the flavor has gone 'over', as in ripened too far. I find if I pick them and ripen them inside, I control them better, my tomato eaters like it better, and they do not seem to go 'over".

As for the strawberries guy, I pick them about a day before fully ripen. I find the flavor then is fine, though yes, I think they get sweeter if you wait one more day. However, often, that's when I lose the strawberry and I am not a fan of super sweet strawberries. So a tiny bit underripe works for me. Though still, since they are turning red, i do still have to tulle them.