Green Tomato Season

[rickmartin]

Aside from the regular pickling and frying of green tomatoes, are there any good ideas for using them.

Last year I substituted green tomatoes for tomatillos in salsa verde. I lightly oiled them and grilled them over coals until they were slightly charred. You have to be generous with the salt and sweet onions to counter the tartness of the tomato. It's very good.

RM

[fredbram]

I would love a good recipe for nice, crisp pickled green tomatoes.

Although, for me, green tomato season doesn't start until the first frost this fall--they all are allowed to ripen and eaten red until then.

[andiesenji]

Green tomato pie is a favorite with my friends. As soon as they know my tomatoes are really producing I begin getting hints about that pie.

Later I will make green tomato chutney, sweet, hot and spicy!!

[rickmartin]

Although, for me, green tomato season doesn't start until the first frost this fall--they all are allowed to ripen and eaten red until then.

In Kansas, 6 plants will produce tomatoes for the whole block. This summer has been very mild and the plants are fruiting double the rate of last year. I have to use some green fruit or I'll lose ripe ones later.

I'm pickling some right now. I'll let you know how they turn out.

RM

[enrevanche]

If you have some ripe tomatoes available as well, mix ripe and green to make green tomato salsa. Like a basic pico de gallo recipe, but with chopped green tomatoes and just a tiny bit of vinegar added.

chopped green tomatoes

chopped ripe red tomatoes

-- in roughly the same proportion

plus:

finely diced sweet onion

crushed garlic

chopped cilantro

finely diced habanero pepper, to taste

fresh lime juice

*small* splash of good vinegar

I have made this before with all green tomatoes, but it's pretty darn tart. Mixing with red ripe tomatoes mellows it quite a bit but it still has that green tomato "kick."

[jackal10]

Its that time of year again. The cold nights are beginning to turn the tomato leaves black

Just picked 8 lbs of green brandywine that will turn into chutney long and slow cooked with onions, home made wine vinegar, raisins, sugar, spiced with ginger and chili. The essence of this style of chutney is the mellowness from long cooking and maturing, and simplicity works best.

Also picked 4lbs of green cherry tomatos (Sungold and Gardener's Delight) for sweet green pickles flavoured with vanilla.

The smell of the simmering chutney is filling the house...

Edited October 2, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Jack, can we get you to provide a recipe in RecipeGullet for this? Sounds lovely (as usual!).

[DRColby]

Jack, can we get you to provide a recipe in RecipeGullet for this? Sounds lovely (as usual!).

As I look out at a garden full of green tomatoes and watch it rain, I'll second the request for recipes.

Dave

[Angeline7270]

Maybe some green tomato pickles or relish. Relatively easy to can in mason jars, and you can enjoy them all winter.

[gourmande]

We didn't plant a vegetable garden this year as we knew we would be away too often and unable to tend to it. All to say, I miss my usual crop of green tomatoes for my annual batch of green tomato relish, at least that's what I call it, my grandmother called it "ketchup vert", though it had no resemblance whatsoever to what I considered ketchup

It's quite a rustic relish with large bits of green tomato, celery, cabbage and onion, cooked down with sugar, vinegar and spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger...)

For as long as I can remember, it was THE favourite condiment to accompany "tourtières" (meat pies.) These days I use it with roast pork, chops, as a burger topping, in sandwiches, and yes, tourtières.

[jackal10]

Added to Recipe Gullet

[Chris Amirault]

Click here for jackal10's chutney recipe; click here for his sweet green tomato pickle recipe. Thanks, man!

[dls]

Jack, can we get you to provide a recipe in RecipeGullet for this? Sounds lovely (as usual!).

As I look out at a garden full of green tomatoes and watch it rain, I'll second the request for recipes.

Dave

←

Well, this is timely. Sitting on my deck this morning looking at the same (sans rain), I though "What am I going to do with all of those green tomatoes?". 9 plants loaded.

Turned on my laptop to check for email then drifted over to eg. Thanks all for the inspiration and ideas. Looks like a chutney making day to me.

Jackal - What is the finished quantity with your recipe?

[jackal10]

Chutney recipe yields about 14lbs. pickles about 3 pts

[dls]

Chutney recipe yields about 14lbs. pickles about 3 pts

←

Thanks

[andiesenji]

I posted this a month ago on the pie filling thread. You can multiply the recipe to can larger batches.

For gardeners who have a lot of green tomatoes on the vine with a cold snap coming on, which seems like an odd idea right now. (temps have been in the high 90s or over 100 here for weeks)

This is a pie filling which can be used immediately or canned as you would any other high acid fruit and used later.

It has a distinct lemony taste and an interesting texture.

Aunt Hattie Anne's Green Tomato Pie

4 cups green tomatoes peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pastry for both top & bottom pie crusts

1-1/2 tablespoons butter diced

Cut aluminum foil in wide lengths or use pie crust edge shields.

In a large saucepan combine the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often to keep from burning.

Mix the sugar and cornstarch together and gradually add to tomato mix, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until liquid is clear. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Cool for 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 425F.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie shell.

Note: This works best in a glass pie dish.

Cover with top crust and seal the edges so juices will not leak out. Cut several slits in top to allow steam to escape. Fold aluminum foil strips in half lengthwise and crimp all around the edges of the pie to keep crust edges from burning.

Place pie tin on a cookie sheet on oven center rack.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or topped with whipped cream cheese.

YIELD: 8 servings

SUBMITTED BY: Andie Paysinger

SOURCE: Andie Paysinger's great aunt Hattie Anne, an original recipe

[bavila]

My mom would make a green tomato chocolate cake. It was dense and moist, not too chocolatey and not too sweet. Don't think I have the recipe though...

[jpdchef]

this looks good---http://www.gumbopages.com/food/app/fried-green-tomatoes.html " fried green tomatoes w/ shrimp remoulade"

Edited October 3, 2005 by jpdchef (log)

[avocado]

I made the Green Tomato Soup recipe from Epicurious. It was good, if a little boring. I used ham as the recipe specified but I think it would be superior if I had used bacon. Also, next time I would puree it instead of leaving it chunky. The recipe has potential though if you really have a bumper crop and the will to experiment.

[liv4fud]

this might sound a bit odd, but where do you get green tomatoes i.e. in supermarkets? or speciality markets?

the only time I was able to get my hands on 2 or 3 was from a box of unripened (orange) tomatoes

other than that I haven't been able to find in chains like jewel/dominicks or local chains like pete's

loved fried green tomatoes and can't afford restaurant ones every time I have a craving

[jackal10]

You grow them, or know someone who does.

If you grow a few tomato plants you will have green tomatos at then send of the season!

I expect a farmers market or a specialist restaurant supply house would have them in season.

[IrishCream]

this looks good---http://www.gumbopages.com/food/app/fried-green-tomatoes.html  " fried green tomatoes w/ shrimp remoulade"

←

Good recommendation! Having eaten this at Uglesich's many times over the years, I can attest this recipe is excellent. I personally prefer a non-mayo based remoulade sauce but this is the way it is usually served.

Lately, I've been following a European method for dealing with end of the season green cherry or full-size tomatoes. Remove the entire branch, hang it in a cool room temperature place, and let them ripen....they actually do ripen and taste great, far better than grocery store tomatoes.

Edited October 12, 2005 by IrishCream (log)