How Can You Tell If Green Tomatoes Are Ripe?
By Kira Hamman
This is a bona fide question asked of me by a fellow gardener who is growing Green Zebras for the first time this year.
And it’s understandable; when you grow red tomatoes, you know they’re ripe because, well, they turn red.
Even the pink, orange, and yellow varieties cooperatively change color to let you know it’s harvest time. But what about the ones that stay green?
Luckily, even green tomatoes change color when they’re ripe, going from that familiar unripe-tomato color (which is beautiful in its own right, I must say) to a more mellow kind of green that depends on the variety. Green Zebras, for example, acquire creamy yellow stripes when they’re ripe. German Greens blush when they’re ready to pick, getting a pinkish glow on their cheeks. Some green tomatoes get darker green, some get lighter green, and many develop patches of yellow, white, orange, or pink.
So, bottom line: wait for a change of color, however subtle it may be. And remember, if you pick one too early, no harm done. You can make green tomato salsa, and you’ll do better the next time!
