Clicky

Site Index Urban homesteading

This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.

Table of Contents
green tomatoes of different sizes in a towel

It was time to try and rescue some of my tomatoes, the night time temps here in Alberta are falling  FAR below 10 degrees at night (that’s Celsius) with daytime temperatures consistently not reaching much past plus 15.

When I woke up this morning, out here in the burbs, it was plus 5. Brrrr.

Tomatoes get very, very mad in this kind of weather. They will walk into your house, slap you for your impudence, then settle down where it’s warmer. Or just wilt and die on you.

I have been hoping since the cold, cold end of August we had here that we would get a burst of heat in September, as we have some years.

I gave up today. It’s not going to happen. What happened to the beautiful hot autumns we used to get?

So I tested out 4 tomatoes and put them on my windowsill to ripen, which they did beautifully.

Now.

There is a longstanding argument over whether you should ripen them on a windowsill or covered up in the darkness.

I can’t taste the difference. I have done the cupboard ripening and they tasted great. That process took three weeks, so I think it’s a great way to lengthen your ripening time.

There are theories that the seeds inside are what that ripen it, that once taken off the vines they need no sunlight, that you need the ethylene from say, bananas to help ripen them.

What I do know is that they turn red on my windowsill. And that everyone under the sun will argue with you over the method that works best.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Fast ripening-windowsill.

Slower ripening – cold storage covered with newspaper with plenty of space between them.

close up of red tomatoes

Now, I actually want these to ripen as fast as possible so I can do some canning with them. They are a motley looking bunch but I am hopeful.

close up of green tomatoes of small and large sizes

And not only are the temperatures dropping, blight is spreading in Edmonton. Sure, it’s not going to be for much longer, but I have such a poor yield that I am not risking these tomatoes at all.

Learn to cook like the Kitchen Magpie

A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook

Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season!

Learn More

a copy of Flapper Pie cook book

Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky

A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts

Learn More

The Prairie Table

Suppers, Potlucks & Socials: Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Bring People Together

Learn More

Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Urban homesteading

Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Janecooks says

    Fearing tomato blight and a hard frost (Edmonton got both this week) I picked all the tomatoes from my back yard a couple of nights ago. I only for a dew ripe tomatoes this year – but I have 5 grocery bins (the superstore size) full of green ones in my basement now! I will try out the faster ripening windowsill theory; I wonder where I might find a windowsill large enough to accommodate a grocery bin full…easy and delicious green tomato recipes welcome!

  2. Frimmy says

    I brought mine in….all seven of them. That’s all I got this year. =(

  3. Charlynn says

    I had to bring mine in after hurricane Earl collapsed all of the plants-even with the props that I had holding them up. If you get sick of waiting for the tomatoes to ripen, I’ve got a great recipe for green tomato chow!

    • Karlynn says

      Oooh email it to me, I still have some green tomatoes outside I can use!

  4. LAEL says

    I had to bring mine in too. They are sitting in the window waititng for the sun.
    We’re supposed to be getting down to 0 Thursday. Bbbbrrr!

Leave a Comment or Recipe Tip