Oy....Green Tomatoes

[The empressof all]

We're getting our first frost tonight so we just pulled the tomatoes. Last year I pulled them up by the roots and kept the fruit on the vines in the garage. I was told by a tomato expert that was what you were suppose to do. Well that didn't work. This year I have 5 huge stock pots of these guys. I pulled them off the vine and I'm going to put some of them in boxes individually wrapped in newspaper. I'm putting some in a brown bag with a ripening banana and I'm leaving a few on the counter.

Is there hope that I'll see any ripening?

Do you have a method that works

Other than fried green tomatoes or pickles is there anything else tried and true that you've done with these?

[eleny]

1. Nope - but if you do make fried green ones, use Italian crumbs

Not traditional but very tasty.

[The empressof all]

2. Tomorrow...I'm making Green Tomato Cake

I found this recipe and it sort of reminds me of that old tomato soup cake that was popular in the 70's. If it turns out well I may be making quite a few to pop in the freezer to give as Christmas Presents.

Google truly is my friend....

http://southernfood.about.com/od/greentomatoe1/r/bl10712g.htm

[wildflower]

3. How about green tomato pie?

This uses 4 cups of green tomatoes, and I bet it could be converted to a savory pie too:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2008/07/old-fashioned-green-tomato-pie.html

[Warpy]

4. The best way to ripen them is in a closed bag with an apple

Apples give off huge amounts of ethylene gas and that's what causes fruits to ripen. Bananas aren't nearly as efficient emitters of that gas.

Ripening develops the sugars. If you ripen a great deal of them at once, use them for canning or freezing as themselves or in a sauce.

If you want to delay ripening of some of them, keep them on shelves and turn them every couple of days. Air circulation will delay the growth of mold.

If you have some big green tomatoes, consider doing breaded and fried green tomato slices. You can also do green tomato pies and other things. There are a lot of recipes online for green tomatoes.

Just don't leave them in those stockpots unless you want mildewed mush.

[hippywife]

5. I second the green tomato pie.

It's one of my favorites. Probably because it's so unusual and delicious. It's great for a yummy dessert when you want something local and the apples aren't ready yet.

This is the recipe I use:

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Desserts/greentomatopie.html

Love it! :hi:

[Trailrider1951]

6. How about salsa verde?

This recipe substitutes green tomatoes for tomatillos. It looks yummy!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexina-Salsa-Verde/Detail.aspx

You could can a good bit of it for over the winter with your supply of green tomatoes.

[brer cat]

16. I tried this today and it is yummy.

We overdid the "heat" and had to add a few more small green tomatoes to tone it down. Also added about 1/2 tsp of sugar...with the lime and green tomatoes, it was a bit too tart.

Now I will have to find new ways to use it...lots of jars ready for winter.

[grasswire]

7. picallili relish

That's what I did last year with a lot of green tomatoes.

[Tab]

8. Well, two things

1) You want to use an apple, not a banana, to release the gasses that will ripen the tomato.

2) What are known as "green tomatoes" are usually tomatillos, which have a little leaf wrapping, and they are different than simply an unripe red tomato that is currently green. You might be able to treat them the same (god knows the tomatillos are a pain to work with), but they have different flavors.



You could probably make salsa verde (literally, "green salsa") but it won't be the same as if you used a tomatillo.

My suggestion - eat the banana, put in the apple, give 'em some time.

[Warpy]

9. The only way to work with tomatillos

is to use a blender or food processor. The second you pierce the skin, you end up with an big handful of pulp and seeds. I swear they're under pressure inside those things, a real mess every time.

Since they generally go into things like salsa verde or green posole (at least when I cook), just throwing them into the food processor with whatever else you're putting into it (garlic, cilantro, chiles) works really well and keeps you from getting head to toe tomatillo guts.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. You might be getting old tomatillos

I've never had anything like what you've experienced happen to me. Slice open those little green beauties and chop them up for the salsa verde that goes down so easily around here. We like a more rustic salsa, so the food processor isn't part of the ritual. They've never been squishy. I doubt they'd be as attractive if they were.

[The empressof all]

11. ***UPDATE*** Reporting in with results

I made the green tomato cake. I thought it was more like a "quick bread" than a cake. It was actually delicious and the tomatoes were reminiscent of plums. It definitely benefited from nuts, raisins and the coconut. SO really liked it. Since I don't eat baked goods on a regular basis he is the Decider. Next time, I'll give the tomatoes a finer dice. Although larger hunks (large dice) were not unpleasant I would have liked more of them.

We're going to make a bunch of these in loaf pans tomorrow to stick in the freezer for Christmas Gifts.

Tomorrow I'm also going to make Green tomato mincemeat. Not for pies but for a killer Mincemeat Cookie I make. I'm also going to do a Green Tomato and Jalapeno Chutney that I've been concocting in my head all day.

The Green Tomato Cake is easy and definitely a keeper if you find you have some of these guys floating around your kitchen.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. I. Will. Eat. All. The. Fried. Green. Tomatoes. You. Can. Cook.

That. Is. All!

:)

[The empressof all]

13. Come on over tomorrow

I'll be frying up a batch. You'll be put to work though dicing up the rest of them for the bread and mincemeat.

[auntAgonist]

14. I tried to make fried green tomatoes yesterday

'tried' they were terrible.


How do you make them?

thanks.

kesha

[The empressof all]

15. I've never made them either

I was going to dip them in egg wash and then bread them with Italian Bread Crumbs and pan fry them in olive oil. I never got around to doing it. I did make 8 quarts of Green Tomato Mince meatm, 4 loaves of Green Tomato Bread and about a quart of Green Tomato/Jalapeno/Ginger Chutney. I also made two tomato/Ham Quiches to use up a few of the red tomatoes I got off the vine too.