Can red tomatoes be substituted for green tomatoes?

[crankin]

If a recipe calls for green tomatoes, can red tomatoes be substituted? My grocery store doesn't seem to carry green tomatoes. Would the texture be too different? In this particular case, it's going into a type of corn relish.

 

[Katie H]

The texture will definitely be different because green tomatoes are quite a bit firmer than red ones. Also, green tomatoes have a taste that has a tartness that the red ones lack. You might want to add some lemon juice to the mix if you decide to use red tomatoes.

Don't you have someone who has a garden that you can beg some green tomatoes from? That would be ideal. Plus, you could bribe them by promising them a portion of your creation.

 

[Dawgluver]

Can you find tomatillos? That texture would more closely resemble the texture and taste of green tomatoes than red tomatoes would.

 

[Katie H]

Can you find tomatillos? That texture would more closely resemble the texture and taste of green tomatoes than red tomatoes would.

Good point, Dawg. I'd forgotten about them.

 

[GotGarlic]

It will definitely make a difference in the flavor and texture, but you can substitute ripe tomatoes. Zucchini might be a good sub as well.

 

[crankin]

Can you find tomatillos? That texture would more closely resemble the texture and taste of green tomatoes than red tomatoes would.

Yes, I can use tomatillos. In fact, this recipe calls for equal parts green tomatoes and tomatillos, so maybe I'll just use the full amount in tomatillos.

 

[Oldvine]

Of course you can use them, but that doesn't mean you will like the end result. There a huge difference in the flavor of green tomatoes and red tomatoes. As a side note, I have never seen tomatoes sold as "green tomatoes" in the grocery store. I've seen plenty of pinkish tomatoes being sold as ripe tomatoes, but I would not use them in a green tomato recipe. To be honest, and to share a secret, it's for the green tomatoes that we plant tomatoes in our yard.

 

[Dawgluver]

Of course you can use them, but that doesn't mean you will like the end result. There a huge difference in the flavor of green tomatoes and red tomatoes. As a side note, I have never seen tomatoes sold as "green tomatoes" in the grocery store. I've seen plenty of pinkish tomatoes being sold as ripe tomatoes, but I would not use them in a green tomato recipe. To be honest, and to share a secret, it's for the green tomatoes that we plant tomatoes in our yard.

I've never seen green tomatoes at the grocers either.

I agree, I just can't see subbing red toms, particularily in a crisp-style relish recipe.

 

[crankin]

I don't grow my own produce so that's why the only option I had was to look in the grocery store. For what it's worth, I have seen green tomatoes in my grocery store, they just don't have them consistently enough to be replied upon when planning a recipe.

 

[Dawgluver]

Just a very strange thought, your local garden center or Walmart might have tomato plants with green tomatoes on them, and I would think they'd be pretty cheap right now.

Otherwise, I would use the tomatillos.

 

[Katie H]

I've never seen green tomatoes at the grocers either.

I agree, I just can't see subbing red toms, particularily in a crisp-style relish recipe.

You need to move here. Our Kroger store here regularly has green tomatoes, even in the colder months. Pretty nice since occasionally I get a craving for them when no one has any tomato plants I can rob. Oh, I mean that I can pick off my own plants.

 

[Dawgluver]

You need to move here. Our Kroger store here regularly has green tomatoes, even in the colder months. Pretty nice since occasionally I get a craving for them when no one has any tomato plants I can rob. Oh, I mean that I can pick off my own plants.

Uh huh. :

 

[grumblebee]

Can you find tomatillos? That texture would more closely resemble the texture and taste of green tomatoes than red tomatoes would.

I second this. I was going to suggest this too but saw Dawg's post...

Tomatillos would be the closest thing, I think.

 

[CarolPa]

I have a couple recipes that use green tomatoes but I don't make them because my family wouldn't eat them. My MIL used to make Chow Chow with green tomatoes, onions and cabbage. It's pickled and I don't like pickled.

At the end of the growing season when all we're getting is green tomatoes, I wrap them in newspaper and in a couple days they are red.

I've never seen them in grocery stores here, but they could probably be bought at the farmers markets.

 

[dee7467]

hi, im a newbie here so green toms are really red ones that are not ripe yet, right?? I have seen recipes that call for them, but bc i can't find them here i haven't bothered to try them. I grow toms every year in my garden. i haven't seen green tomatoes being sold anywhere here (uk)

 

[GotGarlic]

hi, im a newbie here so green toms are really red ones that are not ripe yet, right?? I have seen recipes that call for them, but bc i can't find them here i haven't bothered to try them. I grow toms every year in my garden. i haven't seen green tomatoes being sold anywhere here (uk)

Hi and welcome to DC

Usually green tomatoes are unripe red tomatoes, but there are some heirloom varieties that are green, or green and another color, when they're ripe.

I'm guessing it's difficult to sell unripe green tomatoes in the grocery store because they do ripen after they're picked and it would be confusing to see half-ripe tomatoes in the store.

Recipes for green tomatoes were developed to use up unripe tomatoes from home gardens and farms.

 

[Hoot]

Dee, not sure if y'all have farmer's markets over in London Town, but that might be a good place to look for green tomatoes (and perhaps better produce in general).
And welcome to D.C.!

 

[CarolPa]

Hi and welcome to DC

Usually green tomatoes are unripe red tomatoes, but there are some heirloom varieties that are green, or green and another color, when they're ripe.

I'm guessing it's difficult to sell unripe green tomatoes in the grocery store because they do ripen after they're picked and it would be confusing to see half-ripe tomatoes in the store.

Recipes for green tomatoes were developed to use up unripe tomatoes from home gardens and farms.

I agree that it would be difficult to sell unripe green tomatoes in a store, but I have wrapped mine in newspaper and they ripen in a few days. Well, they turn red. They do not taste as good as the ones that ripen on the vine, but at least I can use them, because I don't use green tomatoes for anything.

 

[CWS4322]

Hi and welcome to DC

Usually green tomatoes are unripe red tomatoes, but there are some heirloom varieties that are green, or green and another color, when they're ripe.

Here is a link with some of the green tomato varieties. Cherokee or Zebra striped are two of the more common ones.

TomatoFest Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds - Legendary Organic Heirloom Tomatoes

 

[Mad Cook]

hi, im a newbie here so green toms are really red ones that are not ripe yet, right?? I have seen recipes that call for them, but bc i can't find them here i haven't bothered to try them. I grow toms every year in my garden. i haven't seen green tomatoes being sold anywhere here (uk)

Well, you won't see them in shops in the UK as we don't use them as they do in America and, of course they don't stay green. In the warmth of the shop they ripen to red. I've searched all over my area for the (ripe) green heritage tomatoes but can't find them even in my specialist greengrocer.

When a recipe asks, specifically, for green tomatoes such as in chutney they mean unripe tomatoes as do the famous "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Café".

In a good year like this one has been it's very easy to grow tomatoes outdoors from seed or from plants bought from the garden centre but if you have a small green house it's even better. I've grown them in the past on a balcony when I haven't had a garden. At the end of the season as the nights begin to draw in they won't ripen very well and you'll get lots of lovely un-ripe green tomatoes and you can do as you like with them. If I don't have time to make chutney (my main use of them) I slice them in the processor, put them in poly bags and freeze them. (Obviously, if you freeze them they won't be suitable for fried green tomatoes).

I'm in the north of Cheshire and grow them outside while my 82 year old aunt who lives in Nottingham was telling me yesterday that she's harvested 50lbs of toms from her (small) greenhouse and converted them into ketchup and sauce for spaghetti!!! I hope I'm that game when I'm that age.

Incidentally, if you decide to grow your own do not buy a variety called "Moneymaker". They are precisely that - money makers. Developed for supermarkets to provide quantity, cheapness (to the supermarkets) and standard shape and size, they mature quickly and are completely tasteless (They are nicknamed in my family "Quick Buck").

I like to grow "Marmande" which is a huge, nobbly tomato which tastes divine or among the normal sized toms I usually grow "Alicante". "Marmande" can be a bit hard to find but I think my last seeds were from Thompson & Morgan. Next year when I'm a bit more sorted in the new house and garden I'm thinking of having a go at "Green Zebra" if I can find seeds.