Even while color is the most obvious indicator of ripeness, texture is also quite significant. To the touch, an unripe tomato will feel rather solid, whereas a tomato that has reached its peak of ripeness would be quite yielding. When completely ripe and ready to be picked, a tomato should feel solid when touched lightly with a finger or carefully squeezed, but it should also have some give.
What color should a tomato be when you pick it?
Once the tomato has reached what is known as the “breaker stage,” which occurs when it is approximately half green and half pink, the tomato can be removed and allowed to ripen off the vine without suffering any reduction in flavor, quality, or nutrients.
How do you pick tomatoes off the plant?
Holding the stem with one hand and the fruit with the other, pull the fruit away from the plant while simultaneously breaking the stalk just above the calyx that has grown to protect the bud. Do this while maintaining a strong but gentle grip on the fruit. After the tomatoes have been harvested, bring them inside to continue ripening while they are stored.
Why are my tomatoes not turning red?
If temperatures are higher than 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the ripening process will either come to a complete halt or proceed much more slowly. Because of the high temperatures, the pigments lycopene and carotene, which are responsible for giving fruits their characteristic orange to red coloration, cannot be synthesized.
How do you pick a good tomato?
Look for tomatoes that have a consistent level of ripeness. Avoid purchasing tomatoes that have patches near the stem that are hard or pale, as well as those that have significant bruises or cracks that are too long or deep to be trimmed away. They should have a lustrous appearance, and their skin should be uniformly smooth.
