When to harvest tomatoes

Harvest tomatoes from the vine as they ripen, when the fruit is solid, firm, and free of defects.

The window: Pick as the fruit ripens on the vine; if frost is imminent, harvest the mature, green tomatoes (full-sized with greenish white skin) before the cold hits.

Color will be visible at the blossom-end of the skin at the breaker stage, when the tomato is considered vine ripe.
At the ripe stage, 90% of the tomato has its classic red color and is ready to eat from the vine.
The fruit should be solid, firm, and free of defects.
Mature, green tomatoes are full-sized and have a greenish white skin color.

The mistake to avoid: Do not wait for full ripening if weather stays very hot, above 85°F, because ripening slows or stops.

Timing varies by region and year; your local extension office is the closest authority.

Grounded in: extension.psu.edu, lancaster.unl.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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