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Harvested tomatoes can 'vine-ripen'
Every tomato lover knows fresh, "vine-ripe" flavor is by far the best.
At the same time, many don't know what "vine ripe" means. So, whether growing or buying tomatoes, they may be limiting their access to the top flavor of the season.
"Tomatoes develop their optimum nutrition, color and flavor when they're in the full red-ripe stage. But getting to that point doesn't have to occur on the plant," explained Chuck Marr, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
Tomatoes go through specific steps, Marr said, in developing "vine ripeness":
--A gas called ethylene regulates the ripening process. Tomatoes start producing this gas internally when they reach full size and become pale green.
--When tomatoes turn about one-half green and one-half pink (called the breaker stage), a layer of cells forms across their stem, sealing them off from the main vine. At this stage, tomatoes can ripen on or off the vine with no loss of quality or flavor.
--Tomatoes don't ripen at refrigerator temperatures. If harvested in the breaker stage, however, keeping them in a cool place (to a minimum 50 F) will slow down their ripening process. Keeping them warm (to a maximum 85 F) will rapidly bring full ripeness. And, once ripe, they can keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
"This kind of control allows you to spread out the good eating over a longer period," Marr said. "A breaker-stage harvest also allows you to protect tomatoes from the heat extremes of summer. Tomatoes can't form their red pigments when temperatures are above 95 degrees. They'll still ripen, but they'll end up a yellowish-orange."
Leaving tomatoes to ripen on the vine also increases the odds for cracking and other types of damage. Plus, it puts an increasing weight load on the viney plant.
Date: 7/20/04
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