Green tomatoes left from the garden

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letscook

Head Chef
Joined
Sep 18, 2004
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Location
The Finger Lakes of NY
Its the end of the garden and I have about 5 lbs of green Roma tomatoes that are not going to ripen as the cool weather has hit.

What can I do with them ?
 
We probably have that many green tomatoes sitting in a basket on our kitchen counter. They've been there for the better part of a week and I'd say about a third of them have turned ruby red and the rest are on their way. I've been using them in salads and such as they ripen. Kinda nice not to have to rush to eat ripe tomatoes. These ripen slowly enough for us to enjoy them.
 
What Katie said....plus some people have had luck placing them in a paper bag to aid in the ripening process....I've done so with somewhat limited success however.....
 
thanks all for the suggestions,
since these are romas don't think ill fry them too small to deal with. but Think I will try Katies suggestion and let them sit for a while see if rippen. if not salsa will be next.
 
I have a big bowl of cherry toms that are ripening as we speak. I pick them daily when they're pinkish, bring them inside, and let them do their thing.

Where the heck did summer go?
 
I was thinking about this and remembered an old Italian guy who used to pull the vines and hang them in his garage with the green tomatoes still attached. They would continue to ripen and as they turned red he would pick them off and use them. If you have the space it might be worth a shot.
 
Great thread, LetsCook!

I've only eaten Fried Green Tomatoes one time. I don't know how they were cooked, but the resulting dish was extremely tangy to the point where I didn't care for it.

Are fried Green Tomatoes themselves tangy or was that the result of the cooking process/ingredients?
 
thanks all for the suggestions,
since these are romas don't think ill fry them too small to deal with. but Think I will try Katies suggestion and let them sit for a while see if rippen. if not salsa will be next.
Just a little warning...I put some green tomatoes on my windowsill to ripen. Now the sill is stained yellow, and I just painted it a couple of months ago.:ohmy:
 
there are three options that i use towards the end of the season for red tomatoes.

first, pull the plant up partly out of the ground, then water and push back down and tamp the soil lightly with your foot. this hastens ripening on the vine. somehow, the plant thinks it needs to rush ripening.

second, break off whole branches that are fruited with tomatoes, and hang until ripening. it's not just for old italian guys. ;) if a frost is coming, pull and hang the the whole plant upside down, removing any leaves or unnecessary stems.

finally, put them in a paper bag or cardboard box with a ripe banana. both tomatoes and bananas give off ethylene gas that speeds ripening of adjacent fruit. so adding an ol banana that normally woulda been chucked helps out the green tomatoes.
 
Great thread, LetsCook!

I've only eaten Fried Green Tomatoes one time. I don't know how they were cooked, but the resulting dish was extremely tangy to the point where I didn't care for it.

Are fried Green Tomatoes themselves tangy or was that the result of the cooking process/ingredients?

All the green tomatoes I've tasted and/or cooked didn't really come off as tangy to me. I found the flavor to be crisp and fresh.

When I make my fried green tomatoes, I dip them in beaten egg, then in Italian/seasoned bread crumbs and fry until crisp. Salt as they come out of the pan and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
 
All the green tomatoes I've tasted and/or cooked didn't really come off as tangy to me. I found the flavor to be crisp and fresh.

When I make my fried green tomatoes, I dip them in beaten egg, then in Italian/seasoned bread crumbs and fry until crisp. Salt as they come out of the pan and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Thanks for that description, Katie! I think perhaps the way they were cooked might have been with lots of vinegar somehow. They were very, very tangy.

I'll have to try the way you suggest. I'd love to find a new food to eat!
 
Will this work?

PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES (2 PINTS)
Eight 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" freshly picked green tomatoes some whole and some halved to fit in jar.

Brine:
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cup vinegar
4 tbs salt
2 Tientsin peppers

2 cloves garlic
2 allspice berries
2 black pepper corns
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Bring brine to boil.
Insert 1/2 of garlic & dry ingredients in each wide mouthed pint.
Pack tomatoes & tientsin peppers into jars
Pour boiling brine to 1/8" of top of jar.
Cover and let sit on counter for 24 hours.
Refrigerate for minimum of 2 weeks.
 
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there are three options that i use towards the end of the season for red tomatoes.

first, pull the plant up partly out of the ground, then water and push back down and tamp the soil lightly with your foot. this hastens ripening on the vine. somehow, the plant thinks it needs to rush ripening.

second, break off whole branches that are fruited with tomatoes, and hang until ripening. it's not just for old italian guys. ;) if a frost is coming, pull and hang the the whole plant upside down, removing any leaves or unnecessary stems.

finally, put them in a paper bag or cardboard box with a ripe banana. both tomatoes and bananas give off ethylene gas that speeds ripening of adjacent fruit. so adding an ol banana that normally woulda been chucked helps out the green tomatoes.

My mother used to wrap hers in newspaper (she kept peach crates that had the "egg carton" bottoms for this), stem side down, and stored in a cool, dark place. We would eat tomatoes until Christmas. We pulled vines this year, they are hanging in the basement. I have to go down every day--as they ripen, they sometimes fall off. I also took the Romas and placed them on trays between sheets of newspaper, checked daily. I'm almost done with those.
 
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