It’s a familiar scene for many gardeners – you excitedly slice into a beautiful, ripe tomato only to find the inside is still green This unexpected interior can be alarming, leaving you wondering if these green-inside tomatoes are safe to eat or a sign something has gone wrong
Rest assured, tomatoes with green interiors are perfectly fine to eat! The green color simply indicates the fruit has not fully ripened With proper care, the tomatoes will continue to redden over time. And even in their green stage, they pose absolutely no safety risk
In this article, we’ll explain all the reasons tomatoes can stay green inside, how to tell if they’re fully ripe, and delicious ways to use underripe green tomatoes. Keep reading to learn why tomatoes go green and how you can safely enjoy tomatoes at every stage!
What Causes Green Insides in Tomatoes?
There are a few key reasons you may cut open a tomato and find green gel around the seeds rather than vibrant red flesh:
Immature Tomatoes
If tomatoes are picked before fully ripening, they will still have greenness inside. Green fruit means the chlorophyll in the inner gel and seeds hasn’t broken down yet. As tomatoes ripen, carotenoids like lycopene turn the tomato red, starting from the outside-in. Give green tomatoes more time on the counter to finish ripening.
Cool Weather
Tomatoes need warm weather to properly mature and ripen. Nighttime temperatures below 55°F can interrupt ripening, leaving tomatoes red on the outside but green inside. Let tomatoes ripen indoors or use row covers to maintain warmer temperatures if cool weather persists.
Excess Nitrogen
Too much nitrogen fertilizer leads to leafy growth at the expense of fruit quality in tomato plants. The abundant chlorophyll keeps the inside of tomatoes green rather than turning red. Cut back on nitrogen and the existing tomatoes should redden up.
Low Potassium
A potassium deficiency can also lead to uneven ripening in tomatoes. Potassium aids in lycopene synthesis to turn tomatoes red. Supplement soil with potassium-rich fertilizer or wood ash to correct the deficiency.
Varietal Characteristics
Some heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties just tend to stay green inside when ripe. Green Zebra and Cherokee Green tomatoes will always have green streaks or flesh. If your variety is meant to have green undertones, enjoy the unique color!
How to Tell When Green Tomatoes Are Ripe
It can be tricky to judge ripeness when tomatoes still have green interiors. Here are some ways to determine if your green-inside tomatoes are mature enough to eat:
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Look for external color change – The skin should be fully colored with a glossy appearance. Any green skin means the tomato is underripe.
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Check for softness – Ripe tomatoes will feel soft and yield to gentle pressure. Firm, hard tomatoes are not ready yet.
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Watch for ease of removal – Tomatoes that detach easily from the vine are ripe. Unripe tomatoes require force to pick.
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Sniff for aroma – Ripe tomatoes will smell noticeably sweet and fragrant. Underripe tomatoes lack much scent.
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Taste test – Biting a small piece of the tomato flesh will reveal the flavor. Ripe tomatoes taste rich, while green ones are sour.
Trust all your senses to determine ripeness in tomatoes with green insides. When uncertain, wait a few more days to allow the tomato to fully mature.
Are Green Tomatoes Safe to Eat?
The green color alone does not make a tomato unsafe to eat. As long as the tomato is free of mold, rot, or other defects, it is perfectly fine to eat regardless of ripeness level.
Both ripe red and unripe green tomatoes belong to the same species – Solanum lycopersicum. The main difference is simply ripeness, not safety or toxicity.
In fact, some people even prefer the sharper tang of green tomatoes in certain dishes. So while green tomatoes are more sour, their edibility is not in question. Don’t let the green interior stop you from enjoying tomato season!
Tips for Using Green Tomatoes
When your tomato crop is struck by frost or picked early, you’ll have lots of green tomatoes to use up. Here are some delicious ways to eat underripe green tomatoes:
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Fry green tomato slices in olive oil with salt and pepper for a tasty Southern side dish
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Chop greens tomatoes into fresh salsa verde, chutney, or relish
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Add diced green tomatoes to casseroles, soups, and stews for texture
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Pickle crispy green tomatoes in vinegar brine to enjoy all winter long
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Bread and bake slices for a lower-oil take on fried green tomatoes
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Grate slightly firm tomatoes over salads for a tangy kick
With creative preparation like sautéing, baking, and pickling, you can highlight the unique tart flavor of green tomatoes. Don’t let unripe fruits go to waste!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still unsure about the safety of green tomatoes, here are answers to some common questions:
Are green tomatoes toxic?
No, green tomatoes are completely edible and non-toxic, just like ripe red tomatoes. Only spoiled rotten tomatoes should be discarded.
Can green tomatoes cause digestive upset?
Some claim green tomatoes cause stomach issues from higher solanine levels, but both green and red tomatoes contain similar, safe amounts. Introducing more ripe tomatoes slowly can help ease sensitive digestion.
Why do my tomatoes stay green inside when ripe?
Cool weather, dense foliage, poor sunlight exposure, and nutrient deficiencies can all hinder ripening and result in green interiors. Addressing growing conditions helps subsequent tomatoes ripen better.
How can I use green tomatoes before frost kills my plants?
Before frost hits, harvest all remaining green tomatoes. You can ripen them indoors, cook green tomatoes into sauce or relish, bread and bake slices, freeze whole fruits, or pickle your abundant green tomato crop.
The Verdict: Enjoy Tomatoes at Every Stage
Finding green gel and seeds instead of vibrant red flesh can be disappointing if you expected ripe, red tomatoes. But there is absolutely no reason to worry or waste these green-inside beauties!
With patience and proper care, your green tomatoes will continue to ripen into richly colored, flavorful fruits. Even in their unripe state, green tomatoes pose no safety concerns and can be used in many dishes. Their tangy taste provides a nice contrast to fully ripe tomatoes.
So embrace those green tomatoes! With an open mind, you can savor tomatoes in all stages – blushing, green, ripe, overripe, and everything in between. The diversity makes summer’s tomato bounty even more enjoyable.
The key takeaways on green-inside tomatoes:
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Green interior color alone does not indicate underripe or unsafe tomatoes.
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Allow green tomatoes to ripen further indoors. Look for external color change, aroma, and softness to determine readiness.
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Underripe green tomatoes can be eaten raw, cooked, pickled, or preserved.
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Handle tomatoes gently, address growing conditions, and wait for full red ripening before eating for best flavor.
With proper understanding of the causes and handling, you can feel confident slicing into tomatoes with green insides. Their journey to ripeness and wonderful flavor is not over yet!
The facts: Green tomatoes contain the poisonous alkaloid solanine – but what does that mean?
All nightshades, like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers contain solanine. You probably already know not to eat green potatoes because of this alkaloid, but most seem to avoid the subject when it comes to tomatoes.
Solanine is one of the ways nightshades protect themselves and attempt to keep from being eaten. As tomatoes grow from green to red, the levels of solanine reduce almost completely.
There are two major toxic alkaloids in tomatoes, solanine, and tomatine. Solanine (the most potent toxin) is in the fruit, while tomatine (less potent) is in the leaves and stems.
The good news is that even if you eat a hard-as-a-rock green tomato, you’ll probably survive. You may not even get a bellyache—but you might. The thing about toxins is that they accumulate in your body and take time to flush out. So if you were busy having fried green tomato parties every afternoon for lunch you might notice symptoms but it would still matter just how unripe the tomatoes are. Or if you already have arthritis or another type of inflammation, you may also notice it more than, say, a spry teenager.
A few other fun facts:
1. Effects of cooking on solanine: The main question I see is, “can you eat green tomatoes raw? Or can I cook them?” Solanine is heat-resistant, but not entirely. You can’t boil solanine out of green tomatoes (or potatoes for that matter), though it does reduce levels some, which means pickling isn’t a substantial means of reducing solanine. Frying does seem to lessen the amount of solanine in green tomatoes more than boiling. – Encyclopedia of Food Safety (2014).
2. Toxicity of green tomatoes: “Only the green parts of tomato plants contain alkaloid, the risk of poisoning only comes from consuming these parts. The first signs of serious poisoning such as dizziness, difficulty breathing, stomach pains or diarrhea occur in adults if they consume around 0.0071 ounces of solanine. If a larger amount is consumed, the central nervous system will also be damaged, leading to cramps and signs of paralysis. A dose of around 0.014 ounces is considered lethal. Green tomatoes contain around 0.00032 to 0.0011 ounces of solanine per 3.53 ounces of tomato. So in the case of the highest concentration of the alkaloid, you would have to ingest 22.05 ounces of unripe tomatoes raw in order to cause the first signs of serious poisoning. However, as solanine has a very bitter taste, it is highly unlikely that you could ingest such an amount unintentionally. Semi-ripe tomatoes, that is tomatoes that are very nearly ripe, only contain 0.0007 ounces of solanine per 3.53 ounces of tomato. So you would need to eat 220.46 pounds of tomatoes for it to be dangerous. When tomatoes are fully ripe they only contain up to 0.000025 ounces per 3.53 ounces, which would mean that you would need to ingest around 63.93 pounds of raw tomatoes to be in danger of perceptible poisoning.”
3. Symptoms of solanine poisoning: “Clinical manifestations of solanine and chaconine poisoning intoxication occur within 7-19 hr after ingestion. The most common symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea; in more severe instances of poisoning, neurologic symptoms, including drowsiness, apathy, confusion, weakness, and vision disturbances, are rarely followed by coma or death. Treatment of solanine poisoning is largely supportive. In the most severe cases, symptoms resolve within 1-2 wk.” – Robert M. Kliegman MD, in Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 2020