Ripening fall tomatoes

I found some great info from the Iowa State Extension office. I want to try the method where you wrap them in newspaper.



How to ripen end-of-season green tomatoes
When frost is imminent, mature green tomatoes can be harvested and ripened indoors. The fruit should be solid, firm, free of defects, full-sized, and have a greenish white skin color. Remove the stems, then clean and dry the fruit.

Individually wrap each fruit in a piece of newspaper and place in single layers in boxes or shelves. Store the tomatoes in a dark, cool (55–60° F) location, such as a basement or cellar.
Inspect the tomatoes periodically during storage. Discard any soft or decaying fruit. When the tomatoes begin to color, remove the newspaper and place them at room temperature (not in sunlight—sunlight softens them without ripening and strips them of their vitamins A and C).

To ripen tomatoes more quickly, put them in a brown paper bag with or without an apple.
As apples or tomatoes ripen, they give off ethylene gas. Ethylene speeds up the fruit ripening
process when confi ned in a closed bag.

An alternate ripening method is to leave the green tomatoes on the vine, pull the entire plant, and hang it upside down in a cool, dark location. (Obviously, this method can be a bit messy.) Harvest the tomatoes from the vine as they ripen.

It also is possible to protect plants by covering with old sheets, blankets, tarps, newspaper, or paper bags.