storing green tomatoes

I have tons of green tomatoes. I did store some in trays in a wardrobe and they went red last year. I read on the internet you should wash them first. Do others wash them or wash them when they are ripe. Thanks

I don't wash them either. I think that all fruit shuld be handled as little as possible before storing, every time you handle it, you risk bruising it which will reduce storage time.

I've chopped and frozen mine in one pound bags - all ready for when I feel a chutney coming on!   

Unless you've been spraying them with chemicals there is no need to wash them unless you dropped them in the dirt (happening increasingly with my remaining ripening Inca plum toms - I think the cold is loosening their attachment to the plants.)

If you do wash them make sure they are dry before putting in trays to ripen, especially if they are in more than a single layer, which helps ripening but does mean you have to check them more carefully.

Experience helps judge which will ripen successfully off the plant - if they show no signs of changing from dark to lighter green or yellow they probably won't, especially if they haven't reached the normal size for the variety.

Tomatoes which don't ripen will slowly shrivel, but will last quite a long time if they were in good condition to start with and don't get a fungal infection - green tomatoes can actually be 'sun-dried' in a very slow oven just like ripe ones and used in a variety of recipes.