How do I know when a tomato is ripe enough to pick?

Answer 1

the tomato will have a deep red color all over it and it will be somewhat firm but soft. Also upon picking the tomato there should be little resistance when removing it from the vine. It should just come right off. Even if you pick it a little early you can always set it in the windowsill and the sun will help ripen it as well. Good luck.

Answer 2

This depends on the variety you planted! Everyone is assuming you've got red varieties. For all tomatoes (red, yellow, orange, bicolor, even Granny Smith Green), a tomato is ripe when it feels firm, but not hard. The skin will be smooth and soft, and for a tomato that's ready to slice and eat right now, the skin will "slip" just a bit. When you lightly squeeze the fruit, you will feel moisture just beneath the skin. If you're familiar with the ultimate color of your variety, you can tell maturity by the depth of the fruit color. "Green shoulders", a little green blush near the stem end means your tomato needs another day or two of sun.

Answer 3

If you want to pick a ripe tomato, it should be a bright red color and come away from the vine easily. However, due to insects and other pests, sometimes it is not possible to let tomatoes fully ripen on the vine. In this case, they can be placed in a sunny windowsill until they ripen. And of course, if you want green tomato relish or fried green tomatoes, or anything else that takes unripened tomatoes, just select them when they are to your liking in appearance and size.

Answer 4

the color is a goes sign only when you know what color should the tomato have. even red tomatoes can have many different colors. if a tomato gets easily off the vine it's ripe. this means that you don't even tear it off, you just touch it's bottom and move your hand, and the tomato stays in your hand. a second sign is birds, unless they're really hungry, they'll eat only ripe tomatoes, then you can learn how they should look, and pick them just one day before.

Answer 5

If you're waiting for a yellow tomatoe to turn red, you're just going to wind up picking them off the ground. You pick tomatoes when they come of the plant with minimal effort. If you're tugging on it and it doesn't want to let go, it's trying to tell you something (like leave me alone!) If you're looking for a visual method, then you're going to be picking tomatoes before they're ready.

Answer 6

you can pick green tomatoes and let them ripen in a sunny window ledge. but really if a tomato is red it is ripe, how ripe do you like your tomatoes? hard flesh, med. flesh, or soft flesh, the longer on the vine the softer they get.

Answer 7

I would wait till the tomato is red. Vine ripened tomatoes taste so much better. More flavour.

Answer 8

When it turns Red- I pick them after they begin turning Red, then let them Ripen on a Window sill in the sun. I don't like them real, real ripe- but you can keep an eye on them better like this.

Answer 9

you can pick a tomato at any time you can ripin it on window seal

Answer 10

when it is red