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Picking (harvesting) Tomatoes

Tomatoes are interesting because they can be harvested at both the green mature or ripe stages. The green mature stage is when the seeds inside are fully formed, but the flesh remains green. You will know that ripening has begun when a pink color starts to show at the flower end of the tomato. If tomatoes are to be kept for a long period of time or need to be shipped they should be harvested at the pink stage. The proper way to pick a tomato is to grasp the tomato fruit as close to the branch as possible and twist it away from the plant. Remove the attached stem from the fruit after picking to prevent stem punctures when several tomatoes are placed in the same container. Stems can cause wounds that can quickly rot the fruit. If tomatoes are to be used shortly after harvest, they can be vine ripened to a full red color which provides excellent flavor. Tomatoes should not be wet and never refrigerated. Make sure to store at temperatures above 50ºF.

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