Tomatoes not turning red? Monty Don's fail-safe trick will ripen harvested green tomatoes fast

Although green tomatoes are safe to eat, you might not wish for your entire yield to be green, and it can be disheartening when particularly stubborn tomatoes just won't turn red. Well, Monty Don is here to save the day with a ripening hack that requires just one thing - a banana.

The celebrity gardening expert, and presenter of Gardeners' World in the UK, has shared his top tips for harvesting tomatoes as part of your late-summer and early-fall gardening checklist. In his jobs for September blog post, Monty reveals why tomatoes may be staying green: 'Tomatoes ripen best when the temperature is between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius (78.8-86°F), so this summer was too hot for many of them - especially if grown under glass and meant that many stayed green much longer than in a cooler summer.'

As the fall season arrives, Monty notes the remaining green tomatoes will struggle to ripen at all. However, it doesn't mean it's time to discard the tomatoes you have grown, as the horticulturist says a banana can help turn your green tomatoes red, even after harvesting.

How to ripen green tomatoes after harvesting

'By September the heat is running out and inevitably we are all left with green tomatoes that are never going to ripen. However if you pick them - either individually or on the vine, then put them in a drawer with a banana they will ripen and turn red,' Monty writes.

It doesn't matter if you're using homegrown bananas from a banana tree or store-bought ones, like these bananas from Walmart, storing bananas next to your green tomatoes will get them to ripen. And while it might just seem like magic, there is a particular science to this solution.

'A banana can do the trick as it releases ethylene, a naturally occurring hormone released as fruits ripen,' explains Drew Swainston, former professional gardener and gardens content editor at Homes & Gardens.

'It's common for growers to place unripe tomatoes into a paper bag with a banana, however, the same effect can be achieved by placing a banana among a bowl of tomatoes or putting the banana and tomatoes together in a sealed glass or plastic jar,' he adds.

Whether you use these paper bags from Amazon or something like these glass mason jars with lids from Amazon, placing a banana with your harvested green tomatoes is sure to ripen them for you to enjoy.

Drew Swainston

Drew qualified as a journalist and wrote for many websites and publications, before studying for a horticulture qualification. He worked as a professional gardener for several years, specializing in kitchen gardening. He's now bringing his expertise and passion to Homes & Gardens as a member of our team. 

FAQs

How do you ripen green tomatoes on the vine?

There are a few things you can do to ripen green tomatoes that are still on the vine, including stripping the leaves so the fruit has more access to sunlight and cutting back on watering.

'There are other ways and means to try to ripen tomatoes on the plant, including removing all flowers and topping the plant - to focus the energy on ripening the existing tomatoes,' says Drew Swainston, former professional gardener and gardens content editor at Homes & Gardens.

Monty Don's trick for getting green tomatoes to turn red is best used when temperatures start to drop at the end of summer. If your tomatoes haven't turned red yet but temperatures remain between 78.8-86°F, they might still ripen on their own. It's also important to familiarize yourself with the best time to harvest tomatoes so that you can identify whether they're going to need help ripening after being harvested.