# When to pick green heirloom tomatoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003 "2008-08-14T17:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/1 "2008-08-14T17:00:21Z")
I am gardening for the first time this year (yay!) and have several healthy tomato plants that set heavy crops (yay!). I’m a sucker for lots of color, so I planted red, yellow, pink, and green varieties. Right now, some of the yellow and red varieties are starting to ripen (yay!) But… um… something occurred to me. I don’t know how to tell when the inherently green varieties are ripe. Help? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/2 "2008-08-14T17:30:31Z")
Watch for them to stop growing bigger. Then you had better pick some and try them. Tomato seeds will sprout in a tomato if left for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/3 "2008-08-14T17:33:50Z")
We have heirloom tomatoes and we pick them when they are about the size of a softball. If some are still green, simply put them in a _Paper_ bag for a day or two to ripen. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/4 "2008-08-14T18:29:57Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] We have heirloom tomatoes and we pick them when they are about the size of a softball. If some are still green, simply put them in a _Paper_ bag for a day or two to ripen. [/QUOTE] Read carefully, darling. They’re MEANT to be green 🙂 . This is why I can’t find the answer on Google… all the hits are about ripening “green” tomatoes that eventually turn other colors. These are meant to be green, even when they’re ripe and sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/5 "2008-08-14T18:57:25Z")
I’ve never grown heirloom green tomatoes, but a regular red tomato, when it’s ripe, not only is red, but it’s also soft–it “gives”, like a ripe peach–and fragrant, especially when sun-warmed. If it was me, I’d see if they were soft, and smelled like ripe 'maters, to give me a hint. If nothing else, bite into a couple; that’ll give you an experience benchmark. “Well, when they looked like _this_, I tried one, and it wasn’t ripe…” ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/6 "2008-08-14T19:37:20Z")
We grow a green zebra variety because you can tell they’re ripe when the stripes start to turn yellow. No idea how to tell the ripeness of a solid green tomato, sorry! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/7 "2008-08-14T19:38:24Z")
My office manager grows many varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Her answer: when they are ripe :D. She picks and tastes. Along with the green ones, she has brought in purple tomatoes, and one variety that tastes like a peach (a little bit). ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/8 "2008-08-14T20:21:47Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] I’ve never grown heirloom green tomatoes, but a regular red tomato, when it’s ripe, not only is red, but it’s also soft–it “gives”, like a ripe peach–and fragrant, especially when sun-warmed. If it was me, I’d see if they were soft, and smelled like ripe 'maters, to give me a hint. If nothing else, bite into a couple; that’ll give you an experience benchmark. “Well, when they looked like _this_, I tried one, and it wasn’t ripe…” [/QUOTE] I have grown green heirlooms, and this is good advice. Also, as mle points out, some green tomatoes have some contrast to look for. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-pick-green-heirloom-tomatoes/460003/9 "2008-08-15T07:29:35Z")
I grew ‘green grape’ tomatoes a few years back - when they’re unripe, they look a sort of dull, pale, flat, solid green. When they ripen, they turn a bit translucent, marbled and deeper, clearer green. They’ll also be softer.