I pull my tomatoes as soon as they show ripening.

In my gardening, leaving ripening tomatoes on the vine subjects them to risk of spoilage by various wildlife.

Once blushing, ... they ripen just fine on the windowsill.

Likewise. Unless I want to feed the raccoons, I have to pick at color break and let them ripen inside.

I feel that the most flavorful tomato is picked at the absolute peak of ripeness IME. . I wait until they are deep red (or the equivalent color of ripeness depending on the variety). Of course we can't all do that due to pests, environmental conditions etc.. Luckily the only potential pests I have are the two dogs and they're fenced off lol

This post was edited by michael723 on Mon, Sep 15, 14 at 12:04

I donâÂÂt have any type of pests.

Is a tomato ripped inside, tastier than one ripped on the vine ?

If you don't have any pests, Daniel, why not try a tomato or two each way and see if you can tell the difference?

Theoretically once the tomato starts to color the plant is basically done with it, but I'm willing to believe that there are some varieties where it makes a noticeable difference to leave it on the vine till fully ripe.

For me, it's the difference between a tomato and no tomato, so the answer is clear. :)

There seems to be no information supporting a better tasting tomato whether ripening is finished on the vine or off for that matter.. I was always brought up on the school of thought that the longer they're on the vine the better the flavor - yet this isn't true according to the few sources I just read..

It should also be noted: environmental conditions can negatively impact this .. i.e fruit will have a noticeable decrease in flavor after heavy rains so it'd be more "fruitful" (no pun intended) to pick before the rain even if not fully ripened.. There should be no difference in taste..

This leads me to a completely different realm of thought that will require two clones and a side by side comparison next year! lol

.. wanted to add this .

"Although many factors could be listed, there are four which play the dominant role in determining the quality of tomato fruits presented to the customer in the retail store:
(1) variety; (2) maturity at time of harvest; (3) storage temperature during shipping and handling, and (4) physical damage."

Here is a link that might be useful: very informative!

I pick at first blush.

In past years, I was leaving them till they are fully ripe. This year I probably got a very voracious vegetarian raccoon that would damage a dozen of tomatoes each night. So, I started picking them at first blush.
Still, all summer would come in the garden in the morning and my biggest, juiciest tomatoes would look like this:

The primary reason to pick early is to avoid spoilage:

1- crackin and rotting. This depend on variety and rain,..
2- birds picking at them
3- squirrels, rats .. beating you to the bush

When you have no pests and your varieties are not prone to cracking, you can just do as you wish. Picking too early creates some extra work, to keep them single layered until they are fully ripened. If you happened to have tons of tomatoes, you would be better off to let them stay on the vine longer.

I myself, get enjoyment out of seeing nice red/pink/ yellow maters on the vines. That is rewarding.

I pick anytime after first blush. I do a run through of the plants before any significant rain and pick any showing color. Other than that, I just pick them as I see them, sometimes first blush and sometimes a little further along, but not usually waiting until ripe. To much cracking and pest damage, but I also like to keep an eye on how many I have getting fully ripe at once so I can plan things, like when I have a load for canning. I only grow 10-15 plants and don't always have enough ripe at one time to do those things. I often, but not always, find the taste better when they ripen inside. I think that is because they stop taking up water, but also I am less likely to miss the "perfect ripe" stage and let it go too long when they are laid out in the house. But all this depends on how you garden, how many you grow, how much room you have to lay them out in the house, and if you find it advantageous to be able to see what quantity you have that are ripe laid out. Only a plus to plan things that will put them to good use, like sauce, tomato juice and canning. IF you don't grow enough for that or just don't do any of that, one less reason to do it. Be careful when you evaluate this because it is getting late in the season for many and the fruit sometimes decline in flavor later in the season no matter where they ripen. If you can, earmark 2 fruit on the same vine of about the same size/stage of ripening during peak season and take one in the house, let the other ripen on the vine. Do that several times and see what you think. I only say several times because one left out in dry sunshine might compare differently than one left out when you get lots of rain, and you might come to a different conclusion. Several variables. :)

Today Tuesday September 16, here in Long Island (NY) we had a 2 hrs. rain. Before that rain I picked up some unripe tomatoes. The cherries are producing a lot. All in all, things here are going very well.

At or after first blush. They ripen very nicely on the counter and I find no difference in taste. Safer that way too.

+1, first blush or slightly thereafter, they ripen fine right on the kitchen counter. But I also don't think tomatoes that spend a day or two in the refrigerator taste any worse, either.

At first blush due to bird or animal damage this year. Other years I have waited until they were ripe. I grow 8-15 tomatoes each year. IMO cherry tomatoes are best picked ripe and eaten in the garden.

I also pick partially ripe tomatoes just before rain.

Always at first blush. As noted by the many they do just fine sitting wherever in the house.

I let them ripen on the plant to a day or two before eating. I use some fertilizers that I like to think the fruit will consume somewhat in the 24-48 hours, after being picked, so I don't eat them right off the vine until I go more organic.

My neighbors notice the ripe tomatoes more than the green ones and they say, "Oh! you have nice tomatoes." It's important PR here. If there is no color, no one notices as much, and then they think the plants are too messy for their chemical lawn culture neighborhood.

But the effect of seeing ripe tomatoes on the plant makes everyone feel happy, and think "yummy", including too many creatures that get to eat too, always, it seems on the early morning of the day I'm going to harvest them, and I always harvest arounf 8:30 AM ;-( But the neighbor thing is important.