Monty Don's genius banana hack to quickly ripen green tomatoes in September

Warm weather tends to mean tomato plants fruit throughout the months of July and August, depending on when they were sown and their variety, but many crops have not had a chance to ripen this year, with temperatures cooler than many gardeners may have hoped.

But never fear, garden expert Monty Don has just the trick for helping you get the most out of your crop sooner rather than later.

In his latest blog post, Monty wrote: “Tomatoes ripen best when the temperature is between 26C and 30C so this summer was too hot for them. If grown under glass many have stayed green much longer than in a cooler summer.

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“However, by September the heat is running out and inevitably we are all left with green tomatoes that are never going to ripen.”

He went on: “If you pick them, either individually or on the vine, then put them in a drawer with a banana and they will ripen and turn red.”

Bananas release the hormone ethylene, which is associated with the ripening of fruit, which will help to speed up the process.

This is why bananas ripen very quickly themselves, and ripen other fruit fast when placed near them.

Apples also give off the same hormone, but bananas tend to be cheaper to use. Be careful though, you don't want them turning too red. Gardeners should check the drawer regularly and remove the tomatoes as soon as they have ripened and turned red.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) added: “At the end of the season, lift outdoor plants with unripe fruit and either lay them on straw under cloches or pick the fruits and place them somewhere warm and dark to ripen.”

You can also pop the tomatoes in a paper bag to speed up the process but do be careful not to bruise or squash them.

The RHS continued: “Tomatoes are best eaten as fresh as possible. But if you have too many, then fully ripe tomatoes can be kept in a fridge for a week or so, to prevent them from going mouldy.

“Try not to keep them in the fridge for too long though, as the texture can deteriorate. Bring them back to room temperature before eating, to enjoy the full flavour.”