Hello and welcome (back) to the Planet Forward blog and to the latest entry in my virtual organic gardening journal on this fine Friday for talking tomatoes. It has been a Mediterranean summer meaning that those fruits and vegetable that grow in the Mediterranean have thrived like basil, zucchini, and tomatoes. However, in the Greater Toronto Area (where I’m located), parts of the summer were extremely dry. This affected the success of the crops and delayed the harvest so right now my tomatoes are just starting to really come into their own.

Tomato image courtesy of organicafresh.com

I have had some tomatoes for the past few weeks, but the crops have been small making me appreciate the ones I have all the more. I now realize you have to respect your fresh locally grown tomatoes (whether they are from your garden or purchased) and handle them properly because they are not here long and they really are a treat. Here are some tomato tips I’ve learned to help you get the best out of them:

1. Do not store tomatoes in your fridge. Tomatoes lose their flavour and become mealy when placed in the refrigerator. Instead, store at room temperature and out of direct sunlight as that dries them out.
2. How to ripen a tomato. If you purchase or pick a tomato that is still a little green or hard you can either let it ripen by leaving it out at room temperature and out of direct sunlight or you can use the rapid ripening method (RRM). The RRM is placing the tomato in a brown paper bag and then you check on it until it’s ripe which is normally a day or two.
3. Picking a Tomato. A good way to test if a tomato is fresh and ripe is to smell it. A ripe tomato will have a fresh green smell with shiny unblemished skin. It should be firm yet supple when squeezed.

If, like me, you find yourself late in the season with tomatoes in full bloom be on frost lookout. You can always pick all your tomatoes (even the green ones) and find a cool, dry place out of the direct sunlight to store them there until they ripen. I like to place mine in a single layer on either a wax paper lined cookie sheet or a newspaper lined cardboard box. It might take green tomatoes weeks to ripen using this method, so you should check on them frequently. Things to look for when checking on your ripening tomatoes are signs of rot or mold which can happen as a result of small bug bites or other lacerations that can fester over time. As they ripen remove them from the others and eat them fresh or use them in a sauce or stew which can be frozen and enjoyed over the long cold winter. If you can, try to eat at least one tomato sandwich because nothing is like a homegrown vine ripened tomato.

Happy (nearing the end of season) gardening.
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