How-to Guide
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors
The short answer
Before frost, pick tomatoes that are mature and light green or partly colored; fruit that is still dark green will not ripen well indoors. Set them in a single layer, not touching, in a warm place around 65 to 70 degrees F, out of direct sunlight.
Mature fruit ripens in a few days to a week, and light-green fruit in about two weeks. Indoor-ripened tomatoes are usable but usually less flavorful than vine-ripened ones.
Harvest and set up
- 1Pick before frost — Harvest mature, light-green or partly colored fruit; discard dark-green immature tomatoes that will not ripen.
- 2Lay out single layer — Place fruit in a single layer, not touching, in a warm (65 to 70 degrees F), dark, well-ventilated spot.
- 3Check often — Watch for ripening over a few days to about two weeks and remove any that soften or spoil.
Whole-plant option
You can also pull the entire plant and hang it upside down in a cool, dark place, picking fruit as it colors up.
→ Indoor-ripened tomatoes remain edible and useful but are typically less flavorful than summer vine-ripened fruit.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- Iowa State University Extension — Can I ripen green tomatoes indoors before frost? — Ripen mature green tomatoes in a single layer at 65-70 F, dark and ventilated; dark-green won't ripen.
- Michigan State University Extension — The last of your garden's tomatoes — Pick before frost; mature fruit ripens in days, lighter fruit in about two weeks; whole-plant hanging works.