How to Save Your Tomatoes Before Frost Hits

When frost starts showing up in the forecast, I know it’s time to turn my attention to the tomatoes. Around here at Garden Gate Lavender, we grow a mix of flowers, herbs, and a good handful of vegetables and the tomatoes always seem to demand extra care once the air turns cold. The good news is, you don’t have to toss them out when frost threatens. There’s still plenty you can do to protect, harvest, and even ripen them indoors.

When Frost Is Light

If you think there’s just going to be a light frost, you can leave your tomato plants in the ground overnight. Take some old sheets and cover the plants completely. I use wooden clothespins to clip the sheets around the plants so the wind doesn’t blow them off. This helps hold in some warmth and protects the tomatoes from the cold.

Do this in the evening, before the frost sets in. Then in the morning, take the sheets off so the plants can get air and sunlight during the day. You can repeat this each night if light frost is expected again. It’s a simple trick that keeps your tomatoes going just a little longer at the end of the season. If It’s Going to Be a Hard Frost

Once the frost gets heavier, that’s when I pick everything - red, green, and in-between. Even the small green tomatoes can be saved and ripened inside. Don’t leave them out overnight, one hard freeze can ruin them for good.

How to Ripen Tomatoes Indoors There are two easy ways I ripen mine inside:

1. On a table: Lay a cloth or some cardboard down first, then spread the tomatoes out so they’re not touching.

2. In a box: This is my favorite for longer storage. Line a cardboard box with newspaper, place a layer of tomatoes, cover with another sheet of newspaper, and keep going. Think of it like lasagna - tomatoes, newspaper, tomatoes, newspaper.

Keep the box in a cool, dim spot, a cellar, pantry, or the coolest corner of your house. They’ll slowly ripen over the next several weeks, sometimes even into winter. Every few days, check for any soft ones and take them out before they spoil the rest.

Green tomatoes will slowly turn red this way. I’ve had them ripen over weeks, even through the winter months. It’s a nice surprise to still have garden tomatoes in the middle of December. If you have chickens like we do, don’t feed them tomato leaves or stems. They’re poisonous. You can compost the leaves, but make sure they’re completely broken down before using that compost in your garden again, or just throw them in the garbage. But if you’ve got mushy or overripe tomatoes, those are fair game, they’ll love them.

So, at the end of the season, don’t give up on your tomatoes too soon. Protect them from a light frost with old sheets, bring them inside before a hard freeze, and store the green ones so they can ripen slowly over the winter. A little extra care now means you can enjoy your garden’s bounty for many weeks to come. Every fall, I walk through the rows one last time, checking for the last good tomatoes before frost takes them. It’s a small act, but it feels like respect, for the plant, for the season, and for all the effort that went into growing them.

So, before you pull your vines and call it done, give your tomatoes one last bit of care. You might be surprised how much life is still left in them.