How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors

Pick mature green tomatoes before frost and ripen them at 65 to 70F out of direct sun. No fridge, no windowsill. Most color up in 1 to 3 weeks.

Published 2026-10-05 by ThriveThyme

tomatoes first frost fall harvest

The Short Answer

Pick mature green tomatoes before the first 32F night. Wipe them clean, set them in a single layer, and keep them at 65 to 70F out of direct sun. Check every few days and pull any that soften or rot. Most ripen in 1 to 3 weeks.

Which Green Tomatoes Will Ripen

Mature green: full size, glossy, and pale green to whitish at the blossom end. These ripen well.
Breaker stage: the first blush of pink or yellow. These ripen fastest and taste closest to vine-ripe.
Small, hard, dark green fruit: usually will not ripen well. Use them for fried green tomatoes, relish, or salsa verde.
Frost-damaged fruit (water-soaked, soft spots): will not store. Use it right away or compost it.

Step by Step

Pick before frost. Light frost damages fruit even when the vines look fine the next morning.
Remove stems so they do not puncture other fruit.
Wipe off soil and let fruit dry. Wet fruit rots faster.
Lay fruit in one layer in a box or tray, not touching if you can.
Keep at 65 to 70F. Light is not needed. A sunny windowsill can overheat fruit and cause uneven color.
Check every 2 to 3 days. Move ripe fruit to the kitchen and remove anything that rots.

Speed It Up or Slow It Down

Faster: put a few tomatoes in a paper bag with a ripe banana or apple. Both give off ethylene, the gas that triggers ripening.
Slower: hold fruit at 55 to 60F to spread ripening over several weeks.
Avoid the fridge. Below about 50F, green tomatoes can get chilling injury and may never ripen evenly.

The Whole-Plant Method

Pull the entire vine with fruit attached and hang it upside down in a garage or basement that stays above freezing. Fruit ripens on the vine over a few weeks. It works, but it is messier than a tray.

Next Steps

See what else to pick: what to harvest before the first frost. For ripeness signs on the vine, read when to harvest tomatoes. Track the countdown on the Frost Harvest Desk.