Do you know when to harvest tomatoes? Tomatoes should be firm and fully colored. They are of highest quality when they ripen on the vine and daily summer temperatures average about 75°F.
Do you know what to do when it gets really hot or when it gets close to a frost? When the temperatures are 90°F or higher, the softening process is begins at a high rate of speed and color development stops, reducing the quality of your fruit. For this reason, you should pick your tomatoes every day or two harvesting the fruits when their color has started to develop and ripen them further indoors between 70 and 75°F.
On the day before a killing freeze is expected, harvest all green mature fruit that is desired for later use in the fall. If you wrap the tomatoes individually in newspaper and store at 60 to 65°F, they will continue to ripen slowly over the next several weeks. Whole plants can be uprooted and hung in sheltered locations, where fruit continues to ripen. You can also place them in a window sill or set them on the counter. I have even made green tomato relish that is to die for.
As a reminder, don't box them and forget them. I have done that before and it isn't a pretty sight. Just don't forget about your tomatoes sitting in a box in another room.
Another thing you can do is to let them quickly ripen inside and then freeze them. Don't wash them or pick off the stems. Just put them in a plastic grocery sack and put them in the freezer. When you have the opportunity, you can use them to can different items or to cook with.
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