How to Turn Green Tomatoes Red: 7 Ways to Ripen Tomatoes at Home

There is something frustrating about watching a tomato grow to full size, only to have it sit there stubbornly green.

If you've got a garden full of green tomatoes and you're wondering how to get them to turn red, don't give up on them yet. Once a tomato has reached the mature-green stage, it can continue ripening after it is picked.

Here are seven ways to help your green tomatoes make the trip from green to red.

1. Let Them Ripen at Room Temperature

Sometimes the simplest method is the best.

Place mature-green tomatoes on a counter or other location at room temperature and let nature take its course. Tomatoes produce ethylene, a natural plant hormone involved in ripening.

Keep them out of the refrigerator while they are ripening. Cold temperatures can interfere with the ripening process and affect flavor.

2. Use a Paper Bag

The old paper-bag method really does have some science behind it.

Place a few mature-green tomatoes in a paper bag and loosely close the top. The bag helps concentrate the ethylene produced by the tomatoes.

Check the tomatoes regularly and remove any that begin to ripen or show signs of decay.

3. Add a Ripe Banana or Apple

Want to give the paper-bag method a little boost?

Put a ripe banana or apple in the bag with the tomatoes. Both fruits produce ethylene, which can encourage ripening.

Don't pack the bag too tightly. You want to be able to check the tomatoes regularly and remove any that begin to spoil.

4. Try a Cardboard Box

If you have more tomatoes than will comfortably fit in a paper bag, a cardboard box can work well.

Place the tomatoes in a shallow box rather than piling them several layers deep. You can put a ripe banana or apple in the box as an additional source of ethylene.

Check the tomatoes every few days and remove ripe or damaged fruit.

5. Wrap Them Individually

Another traditional method is to wrap individual mature-green tomatoes in newspaper or paper.

Place the wrapped tomatoes in a box or on a shelf in a cool location. Check them regularly and remove the paper from tomatoes as they begin to color.

This method is particularly useful when you have a large harvest that you want to ripen gradually.

6. Bring the Plant Indoors

If cold weather is approaching and you still have a lot of green tomatoes on the plant, there is another option.

You can pull up the entire tomato plant and hang it upside down in a cool, dark location. The tomatoes can continue ripening on the plant, and you can pick them as they begin to color.

This method isn't practical for everyone, but it can be useful at the end of the growing season.

7. Pick Them When They Begin to Blush

You don't always have to wait until a tomato is completely red before picking it.

When a tomato begins showing its first hint of color, it has entered the breaker stage and can finish ripening off the vine.

Picking tomatoes at this stage can be especially useful when weather, pests, or other problems threaten the crop.

How Do You Know If a Green Tomato Is Ready?

This is an important part of the process.

Not every small green tomato will successfully ripen after picking. You want a tomato that has reached the mature-green stage.

A mature-green tomato is generally full-sized and firm. The color may have changed from a deep green toward a lighter, whitish green, and the fruit has developed internally enough to continue the ripening process.

Immature tomatoes may simply shrivel instead of turning into a good ripe tomato.

Tomatoes Don't Need Sunlight to Turn Red

Here's something that surprises many gardeners:

Tomatoes don't need direct sunlight to ripen after they're picked.

Warmth is more important than sunlight. A temperature around the upper 60s to about 70°F is favorable for relatively quick ripening, while cooler conditions slow the process.

So putting a green tomato on a sunny windowsill isn't necessarily the secret to turning it red.

What About Tomatoes That Won't Turn Red?

Temperature can be part of the problem.

Very high temperatures can interfere with the production of the pigments that give tomatoes their red color. That's one reason gardeners sometimes find themselves staring at large green tomatoes during a hot summer.

In extremely hot weather, the tomato may continue developing without turning red as quickly as expected.

That's particularly interesting for gardeners in places such as Texas, where summer temperatures can remain very high.

Don't Forget the Green Tomatoes

Before you decide those green tomatoes are a lost cause, give them a chance.

Whether you leave them on the counter, use a paper bag, add a ripe banana, wrap them individually, or bring the whole plant indoors, there are several ways to help mature-green tomatoes finish ripening.

And if some of them simply refuse to turn red, there's always another possibility:

Fried green tomatoes!

Happy gardening!

Psalm 23 — “He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures” Psalm 23

 

Psalm 23 — “He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures”

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
— Psalm 23:2

When David wrote these words, he wasn't describing something he had only read about.

He had been a shepherd.

David knew what sheep were like.

Sheep don't always know when they have had enough. They can wander looking for food when there is already plenty around them. They can become restless, frightened, or confused.

A good shepherd knows when it is time for the sheep to stop and rest.

David had learned something about God through caring for sheep:

Sometimes the shepherd has to make the sheep lie down.

“He Maketh Me”

That little phrase is easy to overlook.

David doesn't say:

“I decided to lie down.”

He says:

“He maketh me to lie down.”

There are times when God allows circumstances to slow us down.

We may have plans.

We may think we know where we're going.

We may even think we need to keep moving.

But sometimes the Shepherd knows something we don't.

We need to stop.

We need to rest.

We need to be still.

And sometimes the only way we will become still is when God removes the opportunity to keep running.

Green Pastures

For a shepherd, green pasture meant more than something pretty to look at.

It meant food.

It meant the sheep could rest without worrying about where the next meal was coming from.

David understood provision.

The same David who had spent years running from Saul could look back and recognize that God had provided for him along the way.

God didn't give David the throne immediately.

There were years between the promise and its fulfillment.

But God gave David what he needed for each step along the way.

That is an important distinction.

God doesn't always give us everything we need at once.

But He knows what His sheep need.

“He Leadeth Me”

David doesn't say:

“He tells me where to go and then leaves me to figure it out.”

He says:

“He leadeth me.”

The shepherd doesn't simply point toward the pasture.

He goes with the sheep.

That makes the next part even more beautiful:

“He leadeth me beside the still waters.”

Sheep can be frightened by rushing water.

A shepherd knows where the sheep can safely drink.

Again, David is describing something he knew from experience.

The Shepherd knows where to lead.

The Shepherd Knows What We Need

There is something comforting about the order of this Psalm.

First:

“The LORD is my shepherd.”

Then:

“I shall not want.”

Then:

“He maketh me to lie down.”

Then:

“He leadeth me.”

David's confidence isn't in his own ability to find the right pasture or the right water.

His confidence is in the Shepherd.

That changes the way we can look at our own lives.

Sometimes we are anxious because we don't know where the next pasture is.

We don't know what tomorrow will bring.

We don't know how something is going to work out.

But the sheep doesn't have to know everything the shepherd knows.

The sheep needs to know the shepherd.

Sometimes Rest Is Part of the Leading

We often think of God's leading as movement:

Go here.
Do this.
Move forward.

But Psalm 23 begins with something different.

Rest.

Before David talks about walking through the valley, fighting enemies, or facing death, he talks about lying down.

Maybe there is a lesson there.

We can become so busy trying to figure out what God wants us to do next that we forget that sometimes He wants us simply to rest in what He has already done.

The Shepherd isn't nervous.

The Shepherd isn't confused.

The Shepherd isn't wondering where the next pasture is.

He knows.

“Still Waters”

The Shepherd doesn't lead His sheep to water that will frighten them.

He leads them to still waters.

There is a difference between simply having water and having a safe place to drink.

God's provision isn't careless.

He knows not only what we need, but how we need it.

David had experienced plenty of storms in his life.

Yet he could still write about still waters.

The peace wasn't necessarily the absence of trouble.

The peace came from knowing who was leading him.

A Thought to Carry With You

David knew what it was like to be responsible for sheep.

He also knew what it was like to be one of God's sheep.

And perhaps that is why Psalm 23 continues to speak so clearly.

The Shepherd provides.

The Shepherd makes us rest.

The Shepherd leads.

The Shepherd knows where the water is.

We don't have to see the entire journey.

We only have to follow the Shepherd.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

The sheep doesn't need a map.

The sheep needs a Shepherd, but remember the place where we find peace is in His Word. David was a special a person a person after God's on heart and King of Israel we find or still waters and green pastures in the Book.

Psalm 23: A Song Written by Experience Part 2

 

Psalm 23: A Song Written by Experience

Part 2 – "I Shall Not Want"

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
— Psalm 23:1 (KJV)

When David wrote, "I shall not want," he was not saying he had never experienced hardship. In fact, much of his life was marked by danger, uncertainty, and loss.

There were times when David had no palace to live in. He fled from Saul, hid in caves, depended on the kindness of others, and often did not know what the next day would bring. Yet through it all, he learned that the Lord never failed to provide exactly what he needed.

As a young shepherd, David watched over his father's sheep. He knew that a good shepherd searched for green pasture, found fresh water, and protected the flock from danger. The sheep depended entirely upon the shepherd.

Years later, David realized that he had been one of those sheep all along.

"I shall not want" does not mean God's people will possess everything they desire. It means that under the care of the Great Shepherd, they will never lack what God knows they truly need.

Looking back, David could see God's hand at every stage of his life.

• God provided strength to defeat Goliath.

• God provided Jonathan's friendship during lonely years.

• God provided protection while Saul pursued him.

• God provided faithful men who stood beside him in the wilderness.

• God provided forgiveness and restoration after David's greatest failure.

• God provided a kingdom according to His promise.

The Lord's provision was not always comfortable, but it was always sufficient.

David's confidence was not in his own ability, his army, or his wealth. His confidence rested in the Shepherd.

That same lesson still speaks today. Life may bring uncertainty, disappointments, or seasons when the future seems unclear. Yet the believer can rest in the same Shepherd who cared for David. Our wants are many, but God's provision is perfect. He knows our needs before we ask, and His care never fails.

David did not write, "I have never been in need." He wrote, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Those words came from a lifetime of watching God faithfully provide.

A Thought to Remember

David was in the time of God's covenant with Israel and he was a "man after God's on heart. This doesn't mean the Lord isn't there for you. Remember these golden verses. Philippians 4:5-7 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing (Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything [Amplified Bible, Classic])  but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Also 

Galatians 6:2

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

The Greek word is βάρη (barē), the plural of βάρος (baros).

Meaning:

• A heavy weight.
• A crushing load.
• Something too heavy for one person to carry alone.

This is the kind of burden where a fellow believer should step in and help.

Galatians 6:5

"For every man shall bear his own burden."

The Greek word is φορτίον (phortion).

Meaning:

• A load.
• A pack or backpack.
• A personal assignment or responsibility.
• Something expected for one person to carry.

The same word is used by Jesus in Matthew 11:30:

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden (phortion) is light."

Easy to Believe, Not Always Easy to Live

 

One of the greatest misunderstandings for many believers is the idea that believing the gospel guarantees an easy life. It doesn't.

The gospel itself is wonderfully simple. The Apostle Paul declared it plainly:

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:1–4, KJV)

That is the heart of the gospel. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again the third day. Salvation is received by faith in His finished work—not by our works, our goodness, or our ability to keep religious rules.

Simple? Yes.

Shallow? Never.

Sometimes people confuse a simple gospel with an easy life. Those are not the same thing.

The disciples themselves struggled to understand many of the things Jesus taught. More than once, He told them He would suffer, die, and rise again. Yet after the resurrection John wrote:

"For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." (John 20:9)

It wasn't because they had never heard the words. They had. They simply had not yet understood how all the Scriptures fit together. After the resurrection, Jesus opened the Scriptures and showed them that His suffering and His glory had been foretold all along.

That should encourage us.

If the men who walked with Jesus had questions, we shouldn't be discouraged when we have questions. The Christian life is one of continual learning as we grow in our understanding of God's Word.

But understanding the gospel and living the Christian life are two different things.

Believing the gospel doesn't mean our bodies will never hurt. It doesn't mean our loved ones will never become sick. It doesn't guarantee financial security or remove every trial.

Life still brings sorrow.

Life still brings pain.

Life still brings uncertainty.

The difference is that the believer no longer faces those things like in the past without hope or without God in the world, but now that Christ died for our sins and rose again, we know our sins are forgiven. We know death has been defeated. We know our future is secure in Him.

Just because I believe doesn't make life easier.

Jesus makes life livable.

When the burdens come, we know they are not the end of the story. We have a Savior who conquered the grave and a promise that what He began, He will complete.

The gospel is easy to believe because God has done the hard part. Christ finished the work at Calvary.

Living by faith is not always easy.

But because of Him, it is always worth it.

My Life Testimony by Vance Havner

 

What Wondrous Love Is This

 

When Leadership Fails: Lessons From Scripture About Authority and Trusting God

Throughout history, people have wrestled with a difficult question:

Why does God allow leaders to rise who seem unwise, unjust, or even evil?

The Bible does not ignore this question. In fact, Scripture records the failures of many leaders—not to excuse their actions, but to teach us important lessons.

At the same time, we must be careful. There is a difference between leadership that clearly violates God's Word and leadership that we simply disagree with or do not understand.

The Bible teaches us to examine carefully, respond wisely, and keep our trust in God.

God Records Failed Leadership as a Warning

The Bible does not hide the failures of its leaders.

King Saul began with promise but allowed pride and disobedience to take control.

King Ahab used his position to promote idolatry.

King Jehoiakim showed contempt for God's Word when he cut the scroll of Jeremiah and cast it into the fire.

These examples are not recorded because God approved of their actions. They are recorded because they reveal the consequences of rejecting God's authority.

Paul wrote:

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition..."
(1 Corinthians 10:11)

God allows us to see failure so that we can learn from it.

Respecting Authority Does Not Mean Approving Everything

The Bible gives us a balanced view of authority.

David respected King Saul as the Lord's anointed, even though Saul treated him unjustly. David refused to take revenge because he trusted God's timing.

Jeremiah respected King Zedekiah, even while delivering a message that the king did not want to hear.

The apostles respected governing authorities, yet they also declared:

"We ought to obey God rather than men."
(Acts 5:29)

Scripture teaches both respect and conviction.

We can honor a position without agreeing with every decision made by the person holding that position.

Not Every Disagreement Means a Leader Is Evil

This is an important lesson as well.

Sometimes people judged leaders by their own expectations rather than by God's Word.

Joseph's brothers thought they were getting rid of him, but God was preparing him to save many lives.

David was viewed as a threat by Saul, but God was preparing David to become king.

Daniel lived under foreign rulers, yet he remained faithful while serving in their government.

A difficult situation does not always mean God has lost control.

God Works Even Through Difficult Times

When we look at history, we often see only one small piece of the picture.

A person may see only confusion, disappointment, or failure.

But God sees the entire tapestry.

The Bible shows that God can use even difficult circumstances to teach, correct, strengthen, and accomplish His purposes.

This does not mean God approves of evil.

It means evil does not have the final word.

Where Should Our Trust Be?

A leader of the people will always be imperfect.

Some will make mistakes.

Some will act selfishly.

Some will misuse authority.

Others may simply make decisions we do not understand.

But God's character never changes.

The lesson of Scripture is not to place our ultimate hope in human leaders.

Our hope must remain in the One who rules above all earthly kingdoms.

"The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all."
(Psalm 103:19)

Leaders come and go.

Kingdoms rise and fall.

But the Psalmist cries out, "Forever O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven" Psalm 119:89.