Irregularly ripening tomatoes

[whiffey]

I have 8 tomato plants in my conservatory, and there is a massive crop on the way (1000+ fruits). They are now ripening fast, but I have noticed that even after they have been mostly red for a day or so there are still a few green patches, usually near the stalk. It doesn't affect the eating quality which is superb.

Are they maybe ripening too quickly ? The temperature in the conservatory regularly reaches 40C while I am at work.

[rogerr]

If they taste good, don't worry about the green patches. I think we have all become conditioned to the perfect round "plastic" varieties that supermarkets sell and mostly taste of nothing.
Enjoy!
R

[Makinamess]

I wouldn't worry about any green patches either. When you harvest the fruit, any ones with a lot of green can be put in a bowl (out of direct sunlight) with a few of their red friends and they'll soon change colour (something to do with the fact that ripe fruit gives off more ethylene gas than unripe fruit). Anyway, the green ones are edible as well, just not as sweet and juicy.

Guess you'll be wanting a few tomato recipes now lol

[rogerr]

i grow my own toms-- so what variety are you growing to get such a massive crop of tasty tomatoes? I have 3 varieties on the go --outdoors--- but because of the lack of rain some of the skins are a bit tough. Sorry to go all Percy Thrower! on your thread, but would like to know.

[WendyS]

I grow the small cherry tomatoes and ordinary sized ones (Moneymaker, Moneycross & Ailsa Craig) and find that the small cherry tomatoes always ripen more quickly. Perhaps the green patches near the stalk are where a patch of shade has been protecting them. I've often found that in periods of intense sunshine tomatoes can turn from green to almost ripe virtually overnight. Enjoy them. There's nothing to equal the taste of a sun ripened tomato rather than these tasteless things you buy in supermarkets.

[whiffey]

I have Gardener's Delight (x4), Sun Baby (x2), Ailsa Craig, and Tumbler.

The GD in particular have massive trusses, sometimes double, I have just counted over 60 tomatoes on one complex double truss alone. The plants are growing to the ceiling, about 8ft tall, and apart from taking out side-shoots I just let them go berserk. They require intense watering in the morning and as soon as I get in from work, when the temperature is often over 40C.

The yield is huge, so it's tomatoes with dinner every night now. There is no comparison with supermarket tomatoes, as anyone who has grown their own will know.

[WendyS]

Whiffey - enjoy them. Every summer I wait for my first home grown tomato to ripen. It's a moment to cherish and under the leaves I have just spotted one Gardeners Delight that will be ready in the next couple of days. Can't understand why everybody is duped by these commercial "ripened on the vine" tomatoes sold in supermarkets. They really arn't in the same league, are they?
If you have too many to eat, as we always do, we turn them into purree, cooking them down with onions,garlic and a few basil leaves then whizz them in the food processor. This mixture freezes beautifully in bags, and we use it for soups, pasta sauce and caseroles.