Should I vine ripen or not?

[Ostrodamus]

This is my first time growing this many tomatoes, and I'm at a crossroads. I've read plenty of literature regarding the science behind vine ripening versus early picking. I'm wondering what everyone's opinions are regarding this topic. Keep in mind, I was gifted all my tomato starters, and I don't know what kind they are.

Should I...

Leave the tomatoes on the vine until they're nice and ripe.
Pick the tomatoes before they're ripe and continue the process in my kitchen.

I'm really wondering. I'm worried about the "breaker" stage, but I don't want to harvest a bunch way too early and have unripen tomatoes.

(Pictures were taken last night)

 

[Oliver Buckle]

There is a simple gas given off by ripe tomatoes that acts as a hormone causing others to ripen, so if you want them all ripe quickly leave them there 'til fully ripe. If they are catching up on you pick them orange and slow things down.
If you have green ones, green tomato chutney is good.

 

[Ruderunner]

Around here, force ripening is often done by placing a ripe tomato in a paper bag with the not so ripe ones. This works for color but the flavor is not quite as good as vine ripening.

 

[Anniekay]

I usually leave mine to ripen on the vine, but, if I have a large group growing together which are too heavy for their support, I just add another stick and tie that bunch up to the stick and back to my cage ( to keep it from slipping down the stick. This will keep the plant from breaking or bending over too much.

The only time that I remove green tomatoes is at the end of the growing season when they haven't time to ripen on the vine , then I make fried green tomatoes from them.

 

[NMRuss]

The only time that I remove green tomatoes is at the end of the growing season when they haven't time to ripen on the vine

This is the ONLY time I do this. Vine ripened tomatoes are far more flavorful than greenpicked period.

 

[Ostrodamus]

Thank you all for the replies. It seems pretty darn obvious that vine-ripening is the way to go.

 

[nao57]

Actually if I could add some things...

Where I'm at, we don't leave the tomatoes on the vines too long. If you do that, you'll find birds and bugs getting to them first. I try to pick them when they are starting to turn orange, but not red yet. And that's because of bugs. They LOVE them. So for us vine ripening won't work.

Another issue is that plants... some vegetable plants will produce less if they sense there's still tomatoes on the vine. Cucumbers and many plants do this where they will produce more if there's nothing left, and if its pulled early. So its in your interest to not wait too long to leave them on. But I don't personally like to pick them green either.

But I respect that other people have other ideas. And that's OK. Many of us are from different climates. So there's many ways to think about an issue.

 

[Chris W]

I researched this question online. It seems that quite a few gardeners prefer to pick tomatoes when they are two or three days away from picking...when they are not quite fully red. Place them on a counter, stem side down. They will ripen without fear of bug damage, cracking, or othe rproblems. I have not noticed a difference in taste.

 

[MiTmite9]

We've always vine-ripened, unless we're making piccalilli (a delicious relish that calls for using green tomatoes).
Sounds like you're not plagued with deer, squirrels, chipmunks? The taste of vine-ripened tomatoes can't be beat.