Ripening Uncooperative Peppers and Tomatoes

Looks like frost tonite. I would imagine that there are a number of gardeners outside as I type trying to rescue their vegetables from impending doom . What to do, what to do... those darn green tomatoes. Do not despair. You can have garden tomatoes ripening till Christmas if you are careful and if you do not mind having a box full of veggies under your bed.
-Inspect all tomatoes for nicks and dings. Any wounds will promote mold that will go thru the whole batch.
- As you are inspecting, wipe each tomato dry.
- Place in a box trying to keep each one separated from its neighbor. If they touch it will encourage mold.
- Place a layer of newspaper over the top.
- Store in a dark, dry spot (under the bed is a great place).
- If you own cats make sure you put a cover on the box... cat lovers understand about boxes and cats.
- Check your crop a couple of times a week to make sure that one has not started to fester. If you are not diligent in this area you could lose the works. Mold spreads like wildfire.
- For faster ripening put some green tomatoes in a bag with a ripe apple. The ethylene gas given off by the apple will promote faster ripening.
- When all else fails, fry up your green tomatoes for a delicious treat. There are tons of recipes on the internet (or in church cookbooks) for using green tomatoes.

So what about peppers and ripening? It depends on the type of peppers you are growing. First of all, ALL PEPPERS MAY BE EATEN GREEN. If you are lucky enough to have your red, yellow or orange pepper ripen on the plant, consider yourself blessed. After all, this is Newfoundland.
- Pick your pepper as soon as it reaches full size to encourage the set of more fruit.
- If your pepper plants are in the garden, harvest once the weather turns cool and there is a danger of frost.
- If you have planted your peppers in pots you can take them indoors and put them in a bright window for another two or three months after the garden has succumbed. This will give your peppers lots of time to turn colour. If you do this, make sure that you isolate your plant before putting it in a room with other plants... it may be harbouring insects. I would give it a spray with insecticidal soap at three day intervals for the first two weeks after it is brought inside. Make sure you spray the undersides of the leaves... that is where the little buggers hide.

If you are determined to get another two or three weeks growth outside, you can use frost blankets over your crop. These work wonders as long as we do not have a heavy frost. The 'Harvest Moon' is called that for a reason, tho, and at this time of year we should be allowing our gardens a well deserved rest.

Thanx, Niki, for the suggestion for this blog. I hope it helps. If anybody else has queries or suggestions I would be happy to consider them.

No recipe tonite... we had home made tomato soup, made with yellow tomatoes. The colour makes it look a bit like barf and it did not really appeal to the photographer instinct.