re: Best way to keep squirrels from eating my tomatoes

If you have pests like squirrels and birds, you need to pick them at "breaker stage." Just when they start breaking into a pink/light red color you need to pick them and let ripen indoors. It's really the only way to avoid fruit loss to critters. I fought this for years, but they don't eat them before they are red.

Vine ripened is overrated. Ripening on your kitchen counter or window sill is not significantly different. But, please DO NOT refrigerate them!