Green tomato delema, what to do...what to do?

[blurose]

We had two nights of frost this week which succeeded in smiting my tomato plants. So, I harvested all of the green tomatos, about 20 lbs worth. They are mostly "large plum" size or smaller with not a speck of any color but green to be seen. Now, what do I do with them? I don't remember what my mom's piccalli tastes like from my childhood and that's the only thing I can remember her ever using green tomatos for. I've seen recipes for a green tomato and apple "mincemeat" but I'm not fond of mincemeat myself. I might give this a try to give to my dad as mincemeat is his fave holiday pie. Anybody got any other ideas, the easier the better. Just too many tomatos to fry and, besides, most are too small for that. Oh, no-peeling recipes are a plus. Thanks.

 

[digitS']

Can only offer the very simplest thing to do with those green tomatoes: Wait awhile to see if they ripen.

There's a homely ol' cardboard box, in an out-of-the-way corner of the kitchen. Really, I try to do this everyday without fail -- I go thru the box and move the ones with a blush to one end. The ones that have ripened go in a basket on the table. Those get used because they are seen. One went in a meatloaf this afternoon and I had a yellow beefsteak sliced & sprinkled with salt (that's all).

That "fresh" tomato has been off the vine for a couple weeks . . .

Steve
. . . it just seems that you may not be giving those "greenies" much of a chance to ripen after only a day or 2 . i'll go back to my corner & let those who know how to cook, talk recipes . . .

 

[lesa]

I am with Steve, give them some time to ripen. I place mine on newspaper with newspaper covering them. You will be surprised how quickly they will ripen. I tried green tomato relish last year- it was okay, but not my favorite.... (The recipe for that is in the Ball Blue Book)

 

[vfem]

I like to make a green tomato & apple curry chutney! YUM! And you can it, so you have it ALL year round.

I'll look up the recipe, though I think I posted it somewhere here or on BYC recently?! :/

 

[momofdrew]

Impossible Jam

Combine 2 cups finely chopped well drained green tomatoes and 2 cups sugar and 1 3oz jello any flavor simmer 20 mins stir occassionally

if watery add an envelope of plain gellitin to thicken

 

[Wisher1000]

There's only one thing to do..... slice, egg, milk, salt, pepper, cornmeal and fry!!! It would be a crying shame not to have a big plate of fried green tomatoes.

 

[Lorelai]

I recommend using them in place of tomatillos for salsa verde. There are multiple recipes you can follow. If you don't mind letting them sit around the house for a few weeks, then they will ripen. I did a little bit of both, myself...

 

[cityfarmer]

Salsa verde in the Ball Canning Book--recipe said to peel the tomatoes but I didn't and it seems fine.

 

[hoodat]

My mother used to make a sort of marmalade using green tomato chopped coarsely, walnuts and lemon and orange peel. My sister has her old recipe book but unfortunately that one isn't in there. I remember her saying she got it as one of the sweets in the traditional 7 sweets and 7 sours of the Pennsyvania Dutch.

 

[Veggie PAK]

Here's one that I use for absolutely delicious relish. Even though I use the word relish, it's so good that I have made a sandwich of it with nothing else. You can eat a spoonful of it and your taste buds will just LOVE it! I try to make it every year. I used an old hurdy-gurdy grinder that clamped to the kitchen table.

Green Tomato Relish
Original Recipe Yield 12 pints
Ingredients
24 large green tomatoes
3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
3 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
12 large onions
3 tablespoons celery seed
3 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon salt
5 cups white sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
Directions
1. In a grinder or food processor, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions. (You may need to do this in batches.) Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl, and pour in tomato mixture to drain for 1 hour.
2. In a large, non-aluminum stockpot, combine tomato mixture, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish (12 one-pint jars, or 6 one-quart jars). Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Screw on lids.
4. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
5. Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Relish can be stored for up to a year.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 32 | Total Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg