The worst possible timing, please help!

[MuseRider]

We have to leave town to visit a friend who is ill. We are going to be gone for 8 days. I have close to 100 tomatoes that will most likely come ripe while we are gone, many many more for later thankfully. What do I do with them? I have a house/farm sitter but she is working and then has to come out here and take care of all the animals. I doubt she will want to do much and even so she will not be able to eat them all.....

I have never picked green tomatoes. Would it be a bad thing to pick the ones I think will ripen while away? What do I do with them? Will they ripen? Can I still can them later without a big decrease in the flavor? Arghhhhh, I am so proud of them and now this. :( Still, we must go tomatoes or not.

[Dover]

1. If you have a local Master Gardener program or just a garden club

You might speak to them and suggest that they offer some to a local food bank as further incentive.
A very good group to know anyway, and usually very helpful. Don't know what state you live in, but
maybe this will help or you can ask your county extension agency for Master Gardener contact info:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=master+gardener+programs+by+state&btnG=Search

Or ask a friend/neighbor.

[Blue Gardener]

2. Food bank was my first thought as well

Maybe they have someone who will come out and pick them.

[Raven]

3. Invite someone from the food bank to come and pick them or

contact a local church and suggest the same thing. I have the same problem (too much produce for just me)and have found, especially this year, that people are extremely grateful to get fresh home grown produce.

[MuseRider]

4. *Thanks* I'm out in the country

but I will call and see if there is someone who would do this. Thanks everyone. That will make me feel much better as I was expecting they would just die on the vines and rot while I was gone. I am so upset that I will not be able to use them since this is my first garden in many years, this will take the sting out.

[Kittycat]

5. Pick them and put them in cardboard shoe boxes or paper bags, and set them in a dark place.

They will ripen on their own in time (slower than the vine). We live in a cold climate, and that's what people up here do when fall comes.

[MuseRider]

6. Thanks

I think I will do a little of both suggestions! That way there will still be some to make tons of salsa with, I will can the vine ripened ones I get later.

[murray hill farm]

7. If you have the time...or can take them with you.

It might be a good time to revisit and treat yourselves to yummy, fried green tomatoes.

[MuseRider]

12. Great idea

but somehow I think Homeland Security and their little brown shirts at the airport might think it was not a good idea! I would hate to feed them my tomatoes. :)

[MagickMuffin]

8. When I lived on our little farm within the city, we would pick green tomatoes

and let them ripen indoors on southern facing windows. They would ripen on their own. We live in Texas, so the tomatoes ripen at the same rate as on the plant, so be aware of this as well. You wouldn't want to come back to over ripe tomatoes.

Too bad we don't live close enough to you. I would gladly help you out. I :loveya: home grown tomatoes.

[MuseRider]

11. I would gladly share them

I too love home grown tomatoes!

Thanks.

[NJCher]

9. not to worry!

I recently did a gardening article on the ripening of tomatoes. If you want the URL, PM me and I will send it to you. But you do say this is your first time raising these tomatoes so I guess you don't know that in eight days no tomato is going to rot on the vine. In fact they will be just fine. I would pick only the ones that are turning pinkish and put them in the house. Doesn't matter if it's in the light or the dark.

The food bank idea was a good one but I am afraid you will disappoint the food bankers if they come out, due to the fact that not that tomatoes will actually be ripe when you're gone.

The only way any tomatoes will rot on the vine is if you leave them in their red state. The other circumstance is with certain types of heirlooms, particularly the San Marzano.



Cher

[MuseRider]

10. Thank you so much!

I will pick the pink ones. There are not too many in that condition. My house/horse/dog/goat sitter does not like tomatoes but she is going to take them with her and give them away if they ripen inside while we are away. :)

I would love the URL but I am leaving in the morning. I will have my computer with me just in case there is some down time and I want to check up on the news so send it if you like.

Thanks! I look forward to coming home and canning, making salsa and I think I am going to try my hand at drying some this year. :)