Why do BER fruit ripen prematurely
 

What's going on physiologically that makes BER fruit ripen prematurely?

hmm...good question. I've been pulling mine off the vines as soon as I see them green so they don't sap energy for the good stuff.

I think lakeladys statement is the answer to your question. I've always observed fruit damaged in any way tend to abort. In a tomatoes case, it aborts by ripening and dropping from the plant. Most plants reproduce by producing seed. Plants seem to know when a fruit is damaged and discard that fruit because the seed it contains may no longer be viable and unable to serve it's purpose. It would make no sense for the plant to continue sending energy (lakeladys term) in the form of nutrients to the fruit. The plants seem to have a mechanism which dictates which fruits should have nutrients shut off allowing them to ripen instead of growing larger. In my garden, fruit with BER, damaged by insects, or deprived of moisture at a critical time do the same thing.

Ted