Now that we’re firmly in September, my summer garden feels like its days are numbered. Sure, I have a few things in there for fall, but my tomatoes and peppers are probably not going to last more than a month. At this point, it is time to evaluate and salvage.
Typically, I leave my fruit on the vine as long as possible, because nothing tastes better than vine-ripened food, particularly tomatoes. There comes a point, however, when I need to develop a plan for the inevitable first frost.
Unripened fruit does not need to be tossed. You always have the option of fried-green tomatoes or using peppers that are still green. Personally, though, I don’t like green peppers, and there are only so many fried-green tomatoes that I am willing to eat. My preference when I cannot vine-ripen is to ripen inside.
Many fruits and vegetables will continue to ripen even after they are picked. Tomatoes that are green will turn beautiful shades of red if simply given time on a counter to do so. Green peppers will likewise turn yellow or red, depending on how long you leave them—some can take two weeks or more to get to their optimal color and taste.
There are a few ways to speed the process along. You can put them in a paper bag away from sunlight, and this will cut the ripening time considerably. To ripen even faster, consider placing a banana or an apple inside the bag as well. Bananas and apples emit ethylene, which causes mature fruit to ripen. Within just a few days, that green tomato will likely be on its way to red.
These same tricks can be used to ripen store-bought fruit as well. Whether you are dealing with avocados, pears, mangoes or peaches, the process can be made shorter with a little help from a paper bag and a banana or apple.
Be sure to check ripening fruits daily—you don’t want to miss your window of opportunity. Once you do, you might want to have some quick bread, cobbler or jam recipes handy.
