My tomatoes weren’t as ripe as those from my 1st harvest. They were orange and their skins were a bit stiff. They wouldn’t have fed us anyway, but they make a lovely addition to a salad. When their development is halted because of the temperature, lack of leaves for photosynthesis or intensive watering (etc.), tomatoes stop growing and don’t always reach their maximum colour because the external conditions prevent the chemical changes in the DNA from taking place.
In this case, they can be harvested and ripened indoors at a temperature of around 22°C. You can enclose them in a paper bag with a banana, which helps the tomatoes speed up the ripening process. It’s a question of natural chemistry. I confess that I didn’t use this technique. We tasted them as they were.
Later, the new plant gave birth to tomatoes that were a little redder this time. They had had their fill of photosynthesis and ethylene, and had found the right growing temperature. They’re not ruddy red, but we accept them as they are, as little miracles, real marvels.
