I belive I recall some tips in the book how to grow giant tomatoes it talked about storing them in one of those small dorm refridgerators at something like 50 degrees or something. I do not have a copy of the book handy right now but maybe someone else will chime in.

Craig

i think i recall that 50 degree is a good temp to store tomatoes. the book i read talked about hanging your tomatoes plants by their roots in an unheated basement.

WM

"At the peak of growth a giant tomato can increase up to a half-inch a day in circumference. It is possible to estimate the weight of the fruit from the measured circumference, and the book has a handy chart. The reason to measure is to note when the fruit stops growing, as it will rapidly begin to ripen and may deteriorate. In fact the fruit will continue to ripen at room temperature after picking. So you pick the fruit before it is completely ripe. If necessary, you can store it in the refrigerator at 50F for up to three weeks. Normal refrigerator temperatures are lower than this, and damage tomato fruit (never store tomatoes in the fridge!), so you may need to adjust your refrigerator temperature for a short period, or have a special one set aside just for this purpose."

http://redwoodbarn.com/DE_giantvegetables.htm

I had to google it since you didn't say what kind of contest it is, and it looks like a just a size contest and not a flavor contest, so I guess I don't understand your concern. If it's just turning red now, you should be fine 10 days from now, since it won't matter if it's a little overripe. Am I correct?

Carla in Sac

I would put it inside one of those green colored bags that extend the life of fruits and veggies. Between the bag and the cooler temps of a refrigerator, it will last as long as possible. But I would definitely get it off the vine and out of the sun and warm temps.

Sue