10/01/2026
A heads-up to those of you who've still got tomatoes growing outside: The forecast is calling for frost this coming Monday overnight (Oct. 5). That gives you this weekend to clear out the green fruits!
As you do your final harvest, if your fruits have started blushing, they will turn colour completely indoors. If they're still completely green and hard, they won't. But, if you wish, you can still use them in creative recipes like green tomato chutney!
As you can see, I've started the process! But, have more yet to cull!
Also, you may want to refer to this old post from 2024 where I explained about green tomatoes rotting after a few days due to late blight: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1cS7ygXg3z/. In that post, I included a pic showing the "before and after" with a difference of only 2.5 days.
Finally, why do I store my tomatoes upside down? Tomatoes lose most of their moisture through the open stem scar where they connect to the vine. Turning them stem-side down blocks air exchange, sealing moisture escape. As a result, this keeps the fruits juicy for as long as possible. Also, the top stem area is structurally firmer than the blossom end (bottom). So, stablizing the fruits on their top end distributes the weight better, reduces wobbling, and thus, offers better protection against bruising.
Well, we've come to the end of the tomato season, but I'd say 2026 was a pretty good one for our area! ^_^
