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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteA tomato with its first pink or red blush is ready to pick and finish ripening indoors. A fully green tomato may also ripen off the vine if it has reached the mature-green stage: look for glossy skin, near-full size and, sometimes, a pale star-shaped area at the blossom end. Matte-green fruit is more likely immature and may not ripen well after picking.
Check the tomato’s color and skin
Pink or red blush: breaker stage
The first pink or reddish color marks the breaker stage. This is the clearest visual sign that a tomato can continue ripening after harvest. Colorado State University Extension says breaker tomatoes ripen off the vine without loss of flavor (Colorado State University Extension).
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Glossy green: possibly mature green
A tomato can be physiologically mature while still entirely green. Mature-green fruit is generally close to full size and has glossy skin; the blossom end may show a pale, white-to-light-green star-shaped area. A shift from dark green to lighter green can also be a clue, and even a slight blush is stronger evidence of maturity. These visual signs are useful indicators, not guarantees.
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Fruit with a dull, matte surface is less likely to have reached mature green. Colorado State University Extension distinguishes it from glossy mature-green fruit and says matte-green tomatoes will not ripen off the vine. In practice, treat appearance as a warning rather than a perfect test: immature fruit may color poorly, stay tough or shrivel.
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Use a cut tomato to check maturity if needed
If several tomatoes look alike and you are unsure, cut one representative fruit. This sacrifices that tomato, but its seeds and seed cavities offer a stronger clue than skin alone:
- Mature green: Seeds are fully developed and are not sliced through easily; jelly-like material has formed around them.
- Immature: Seeds are soft and pale, cut easily, and have little or no developed jelly around them.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension describes these internal differences, and UC Davis uses developed seeds and forming jelly in its technical definition of minimum commercial maturity (University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension; UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center). The test can help distinguish fruit that is likely to ripen from fruit that may only ripen slowly, if at all, and then shrivel.
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What to expect from each stage
| Stage | How to recognize it | What to expect after picking |
|---|---|---|
| Breaker | First pink or red blush | Best-supported choice for ripening off the vine; Colorado State University Extension says it ripens without flavor loss. |
| Mature green | Near full size, glossy green skin; sometimes a pale blossom-end star. Developed seeds and jelly if checked. | Can ripen indoors, but may not develop the full flavor it would have gained on the vine. |
| Likely immature green | Matte skin; soft, pale seeds that cut easily; little or no jelly | Unlikely to ripen acceptably; may color poorly, remain tough or shrivel. Consider using it in a cooked green-tomato recipe. |
Harvest and ripen suitable fruit indoors
Pick sound fruit before frost
Choose firm tomatoes without defects and harvest mature-green or breaker fruit before frost. Remove stems, clean the fruit and let it dry. Iowa State University Extension recommends storing tomatoes in a single layer in a cool, dark place, individually wrapped in newspaper, and checking them often. Remove any fruit that becomes damaged or starts to decay. Once a tomato begins to color, unwrap it and move it to room temperature. Pulling up the whole plant and hanging it upside down in a cool, dark place is another option (Iowa State University Extension).
Keep the temperature moderate
For home ripening, about 60–70°F is a practical range: fruit ripens more slowly at the cool end. Colorado State University Extension recommends 55–70°F and estimates a couple of weeks near 70°F versus about a month near 55°F. University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension describes 65–70°F as the fastest range and says tomatoes ripen more slowly, with firmer fruit, around 60°F. Avoid prolonged storage below 50°F, which extension guidance warns can lead to poor flavor. UC Davis identifies 68°F as optimal for sensory and nutritional quality; above 77°F, tomatoes can become softer and more yellow than red (UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center).
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Skip the sunny windowsill
Tomatoes do not need light to ripen. Keep them in a well-aerated spot, out of direct sun, and inspect them regularly. Sunlight can heat the fruit enough to inhibit pigment synthesis, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension (Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program). A single layer with space between tomatoes makes it easier to spot decay and helps air circulate.
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