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Gardener shares genius tip for turning green tomatoes into ripe ones: 'Never heard of this'

"That keeps the bugs off when ripening too!"

Turning green tomatoes into ripe ones

Photo Credit: Sabrina Sustainable Life

TikTok user Sabrina (@sabrina.sustainable.life) has shared her family's hack for reducing food waste in the garden.

The Scoop

In the video, which has more than 60,000 likes, Sabrina films her "nonna" instructing users on what to do with green tomatoes in the garden.

@sabrina.sustainable.life follow this tip from my nonna to save those green tomatoes in your garden 🍅 #gardening #nonna #Italian #reducefoodwaste #garden #tomatoes #ecofriendly #gardeninghacks #sustainability #fallgardening #ecofriendlyhacks #foodwaste #italiancheck ♬ Italian Tarantella - Italian Restaurant Music of Italy

She tells the camera, "Don't leave them outside to get rotten," before demonstrating how she brings them into the house and wraps them in paper, twisting the ends to "make it like a little candy."

Once you've wrapped up your green tomatoes, the hack involves putting them in a plastic bag and then into a dark space such as the basement or cupboard. Sabrina's grandmother tells users that after two to three weeks, the tomatoes are usually ripe and ready to enjoy.

Why it's great

This hack is a fantastic example of getting creative with sustainability to enjoy homegrown tomatoes for longer, all while reducing the amount of food that goes to waste. 

Not only will this save you money as you won't have to go out and buy tomatoes from the store, but it is also great for the environment. By reducing our reliance on store-bought products and reducing our waste, we can work toward more food for those in need and less environmental impact. 

Reducing the amount of waste in landfills also means less polluting gases released into the environment that contribute to rising global temperatures. 

What's everyone saying

The video has been incredibly popular on TikTok, with users sharing their own tips and tricks as well as memories of their relatives using the same hack.

One user commented: "We do this with fruit wrap and they last all year." 

Another asked Sabrina to thank her nonna, adding: "Southern & raised on growing fresh tomatoes all my life. Never heard of this. That keeps the bugs off when ripening too!"

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