Tamarillo Ripening Tip
Tamarillos ripening in the Seagarden
QUESTION from a Garden.Geek.NZ reader:
I wonder if you have any suggestions for ripening windfall tamarillos? We had some extremely strong winds recently here in New Plymouth NZ and so many of our fruit fell to the ground and are still very green. Any suggestions would be appreciated.  —Lyn
Dear Lyn,
Tamarillos are sensitive to ethylene gas, so storing them with other fruit can help them ripen. However, if the skin is still very green, they won’t ripen to optimal tastiness. Best wishes with the rest of the fruit!
Here’s some interesting technical info:
- One Rotten Apple Spoils the Whole Bushel: The Role of Ethylene in Fruit Ripening by Athanasios Theologis
- Advancing the Tamarillo Harvest by Induced Postharvest Ripening
- and Postharvest report on Tamarillo by Marita Cantwell at UC Davis
And when the rest of mine ripen, I’m looking forward to making these mulled tamarillos!
