Grandmother reveals family's genius hack to turn green tomatoes into ripe ones: 'Never heard of this'

Nonnas know best. That was the lesson after a TikToker's grandma's genius hack for green tomatoes got rave reviews on the platform. 

The scoop

Sabrina Pare (@sabrina_pare) showed off the easy-to-follow way to ripen your green tomatoes slowly and protect them from getting rotten.

@sabrina_pare 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

As Sabrina's nonna reveals, the hack uses nothing more than paper towel tubes. She advises against leaving green tomatoes outside, as they might spoil. Instead, she recommends bringing them indoors and wrapping them in paper. Twist the ends to resemble a wrapper that might contain candy from your own grandma's house (think Werther's Original).

Once wrapped, place the tomatoes in a bag, box, or whatever's easy. The key is to store them in a dark, cool area such as a cupboard or basement. 

Nonna says it takes two to three weeks or even a month, showing a beautifully red, appetizing tomato. The upshot is you can store tomatoes to enjoy in the winter or whenever you want instead of racing against normal spoilage.

How it's helping

This simple method not only prolongs your tomatoes' lifespans but also promotes sustainability by reducing food waste. In the United States alone, 33% of food, or 80 million tons annually, is wasted. 

Pesky produce can often go in the bin if you don't monitor it closely. Freezing tomatoes is another way to cut down on waste.

This hack can make sure you're minimizing your contribution to food waste while maximizing what you grow at home. That allows you to save money by lessening reliance on store-bought tomatoes and sweetens the deal when it comes to gardening.

Additionally, homegrown produce often tastes better, and gardening contributes to your overall well-being. Produce at supermarkets loses nutrients on its long journey, so your own tomatoes have the edge, especially if you can manage their ripeness with this hack.

What everyone's saying

The video sparked admiration among TikTokers, who were big fans of Nonna's hack and eager to mimic it in their own homes.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Southern & raised on growing fresh tomatoes all my life. Never heard of this. That keeps the bugs off when ripening too!" one wrote.

Another shared: "There's something so special about learning sustainability tips from our elders! They know what's up."

"My nonna is going to be so excited people liked this video!" Sabrina said.

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