I don't know there, but here, what was not ready on Sept. 1, when the rain started, will probably not ripen (I pulled everything 8 days ago). After ten days of rains, we had a dip to 42, and these things do not favor the ripening of tomatoes.

they will eventually ripen time permitting. my understanding is tom's need longer days and shorter warmer nights, in pretty much full sun. with your winter season approaching i believe if you pull the bush and hang it upside down under some shelter the fruit or most of it will ripen.

you can use green tomato's in cooking.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

I'm sure you know the variety you grew, but just in case, there is a variety of cherry tomato that doesn't turn red, it stays green. I don't know what it's called, but my mother grew it.

Mine are ripening very slowly. Today is warm with lots of sun, so hopefully some more start turning. I'll probably remove all plants at the end of this week and throw the green ones in a paper bag.

Today it rained all day. I had left three plants in the garden and a more pitiful, diseased bunch I have never seen. I bet those tomatoes would have ripened faster inside, on the counter.

Tomatoes hold until they're ready. Patience. If they look healthy, they'll ripen in time.

I grew tomatoes for the first time this summer and I, too, thought my tomatoes would NEVER ripen. I researched, I asked, I annoyed every forum I could find to find out why they wouldn't ripen! What I have learned is that it takes FOREVER for tomatoes to ripen. They WILL hang on the plant for weeks and weeks without changing one bit it seems. But they will ripen.
However, being that it's the middle of september and you're in NY, I'm thinking time is running out for your tomatoes to ripen. When did you plant them? perhaps you planted a bit too late in season and didn't give then enough time?

Same issue here, and I'm in upstate New York (the Binghamton area). It is October 8 today, and I'm about to pull down most of this year's tomatoes, still green, still hard as a rock, totally unripe. I had seven plants in 5-gallon pails, watered and fed religiously, pruned carefully and judiciously, and the plants really thrived.

In fact, they're all still producing new growth and blossoms at this late date! The smallest is about 6 feet tall. They are really lush. I planted early (for this area) on May 14th, this year.

The plants set more than 100 fruit. Many of them were of excellent size and healthy as can be. But only 8-or-so have ripened so far, just under FIVE MONTHS in. And we're facing the first hard frost any day now - it will be 34 F tonight!

Total wipeout. Total disaster. More than 60 beautiful Beefmaster, Celebrity, Brandywine and Big Beef fruit still hang on the vine, destined to be given away to someone to pickle, because there's no way they will possibly start showing color before the freeze kills the plants.

This growing season turned out to be the worst waste of effort and attention of my life. I'm just not into green tomatoes.

Is this some kind of climatic issue associated with New York this year? I've never seen anything like this, and hope I never do again.

What many of you are describing seems like less than full sun to me. I have a tomato bed that goes from full sun to part sun around Aug. 15. Its production goes from 40 tomatoes a day to 2-4 a day within a week.

I agree with glib about the plants probably needing more sun.

If you are very close to the coast in the northwest (probably elsewhere where the water temp is cool) it is hard to ripen tomatoes because of low night time temps combined with generally low high temperatures. - If your plants are in full sun, your situation could be similar.

It is definitely time to do what len suggested - pull the plants and put them somewhere that they will not get frosted. Leave some of the roots - pretty much what comes up when you pull them, knock off the dirt and hang (I have also placed on a table). It really would be better if you had your fill of tomatoes and just wanted to see them go until next year, (it just is not the same) but it does work.

If there were a bit more time you could try some types of root pruning. Either pulling on the base of the plant a bit or using a spade to cut on two sides of the plant. This is supposed to shock the plant into ripening fruit because it is stressed and dying. Some top the plants or remove blossoms when there is no longer time left for the fruit to ripen.

Your best bet - There are lots of varieties of tomatoes, it can take a few or more years to find out what works best for your tastes and climate. If you have a neighbor who is having success, you could ask a few questions and get a jump start on the process, or you could ask for suggestions for your climate on the tomato forum here.

Best of luck!