Tomatoes 101--The Final Chapter!
You have started watching the fruit grow in size and develop in color, and you check the progress each day! Be aware that the fruit will ripen best when the daily temperature stays around 75° F. Daily temperatures over 86° F prevent the red color from forming in the fruit, although the yellow pigment will continue to develop. Because of this resulting inconsistent coloring during the hot weather one cannot depend on the red color to determine the ripeness of the fruit. Pick the fruit while it is still firm and pink (or orange), and bring it inside to let it ripen to its peak of flavor on the kitchen counter or on a shady window sill. According to Purdue Bulletin HO-26 tomatoes ripened on the vine are more susceptible to sunscald and skin cracking, so as you see, there are other side benefits of picking the tomatoes early. Furthermore, when the fruit ripens completely on the vine, the skin gets softer and the smell gets sweeter-- changes which do not go unnoticed by the garden insects and pests! It stands to reason, then, that the longer you leave the tomatoes on the vine, the more likely it is that insect and pest damage will occur. Stay a step ahead, and outsmart them! Harvest the tomatoes a little early -- not by pulling, but by gently twisting, please. For the last point in Tomatoes 101--ENJOY THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR!