We have reached the most exciting moment in the greenhouse year – it is finally earning its keep. After months of coaxing, feeding, side-shooting and watering, the tomato harvest is upon me. This is the moment we greenhouse growers have been waiting for: trusses hanging heavy, fruit blushing from green to gold, orange, crimson and even black. The long wait is over, and the reward is as sweet (and savoury, and juicy, and…well delicious).
Tomatoes grown under glass often ripen earlier and more reliably than those outdoors, particularly in a cool or unpredictable summer. The consistent warmth and shelter of the greenhouse means fewer setbacks from blight or cold snaps and now, at the start of August, we can begin picking in earnest. We had an amazingly warm and sunny early summer and so like me you’ll likely have had the odd ripe tomato already, particularly from early varieties like ‘Sungold’ or ‘Tumbling Tom’, but now the real glut begins. It’s time to enjoy them while they’re at their best, and to get clever with preserving and cooking when the baskets begin to overflow.
Encouraging Ripening
If your tomatoes are still dragging their heels, there are a few things you can do to help them along. First, keep the greenhouse well ventilated and avoid high humidity. Good airflow helps to prevent fungal diseases and keeps the plants healthy enough to ripen their fruit fully. Reducing watering very slightly – just enough to stress the plants without wilting them – can actually encourage ripening, especially when we get towards the end of the season.
Removing a few of the lower leaves, particularly those that are shading ripening fruit, helps the sun reach the tomatoes and reduces the plant’s energy expenditure. By late August, you might even consider stopping the plants entirely—pinching off the growing tips—so that they put all their effort into ripening existing fruit rather than producing more.
Eating Them Fresh
We are not there yet, but we are at the point of eating. The first ripe tomato deserves to be eaten with reverence. Nothing from the shops comes close to the taste of a sun-warmed fruit, plucked and eaten within minutes (unless your ‘shop’ is a marketplace in the south of France..). Your first recipe: a plate of sliced tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with flaky salt, and then left to sit for an hour, ideally in the sun. Add torn basil and a little fresh mozzarella if you like, but the tomato should be the star.
Cherry varieties like ‘Black Cherry’, ‘Gardener’s Delight’, or ‘Sungold’ come on early, and they are ideal for snacking straight from the vine, tossing into salads, or halving and roasting with garlic and herbs. It is the larger varieties like ‘Marmande’ or ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ that have now started to ripen for me, and they shine in sandwiches, on bruschetta, or scattered across pizza bases before baking.
Cooking and Preserving
When the glut gets going, it’s time to think big. Roasting tomatoes low and slow with a splash of olive oil and herbs concentrates their flavour into something almost jammy, perfect for freezing in batches and stirring through pasta or spreading on toast.
A classic tomato sauce is wonderful made with fresh home-grown tomatoes: gently cook chopped garlic in olive oil, then add chopped tomatoes, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer until thickened, then freeze in portions. You’ll be grateful for the taste of summer in the depths of winter.
For something a little different, try making a tomato confit. Submerge whole cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic, thyme, and a pinch of chilli, then cook slowly in a low oven until they’re silky and rich. Spoon onto sourdough or fold through risotto for an instant hit of greenhouse luxury.
And don’t overlook green tomatoes that refuse to ripen. They can be brought indoors and ripened in a paper bag with a banana—or they can be made into a tangy, spicy green tomato chutney, perfect with cheese and cold meats.
One Last Thing
The greenhouse in full tomato harvest is a heady place—scented, steamy, glowing with colour. There’s much joy in wandering between the vines, picking ripe fruit with tomato-stained hands and sun on your back. These are the days we dream of in spring. Enjoy them while they last.