A cluster of unripe green plum tomatoes on the vine

Frost is coming, so pick the green tomatoes

Harvest and preserving
November 06, 2026

A light frost kills tomato plants. You have one afternoon to decide: ripen them in the house or cook them green. Either beats the compost pile.

Pick the right ones

Pick just before the first frost. Colorado State Extension says a forecast of light frost (28 to 32 F) can be handled with a cover, but if a heavy frost below 28 F is coming and covering is not practical, harvest first.

Take fruit that is solid, firm and free of defects, from strong, healthy vines. Mature green means full-sized and light green to whitish, per Clemson Extension.

Remove the stems, wash if dirty, and let them dry.

Pick only blemish-free fruit for ripening indoors, and toss anything damaged.

Cluster of unripe green cherry tomatoes on the vine Pick fruit that is full-sized and firm, with no blemishes, before a hard frost.

Ripen them in a box

Iowa State Extension says to wrap each tomato in newspaper and keep them in a single layer in a cool (60 to 65 F), dark spot like a basement. Discard any that rot, and unwrap them at room temperature once they start to color.

Clemson says mature green tomatoes ripen in about 14 days at 65 to 70 F, or 25 to 28 days at 55 F. Below 50 F, Colorado State says, fruit turns bland.

Speed it up or slow it down

Tomatoes give off ethylene as they ripen. Drop a ripe one in the box to speed things up, or sort red from green every 7 to 10 days to slow them down.

Too damp and they mold, too dry and they shrivel, so expect a little trial and error, per Iowa State Extension AnswerLine.

Indoor-ripened fruit is less flavorful than vine-ripened, per Iowa State Extension AnswerLine. Fried green tomatoes, pie, bread and relish are all on the Iowa State Extension AnswerLine list of uses for green fruit.

Bottom line

  • If a heavy frost below 28 F is forecast and covering is not practical, pick before it, per Colorado State Extension.
  • Wrap them and keep them dark and cool, 60 to 65 F per Iowa State; Clemson says mature green fruit ripens in about 14 days at 65 to 70 F.
  • Never chill unripe fruit below 50 F.

Your zone

  • Zone 3-4: In many Colorado mountain communities, tomatoes may only be grown in a structure or beside a south wall, per Colorado State Extension.
  • Zone 5-6: If a light frost (28-32 F) is forecast, cover plants; below 28 F, pick, per Colorado State Extension.
  • Zone 7-8: In South Carolina, Clemson Extension says to harvest green tomatoes just before frost and ripen them indoors.
  • Zone 9-10: In Texas, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says to harvest at the pink stage and ripen the fruit in a warm area of the house.
  • Zone 11+: Frosts and freezes occur rarely in South Florida, per UF/IFAS Extension, and its tomato production chapter lists planting there from August through February.

Sources

helpzone 3-4zone 5-6zone 7-8zone 9-10zone 11+
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Garden Hero

We have killed more plants than you have grown. Rooted is what we learned, sourced to the extension office and written by your zone.

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