BS: Green tomatoes

Subject: BS: Green tomatoes
From: GUEST,Sooz sans cookie
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 12:54 PM

We're going to have lots of green tomatoes this year. Any suggestions?
BTW are "fried green tomatoes" exactly that? I've never fancied cooking the unripe fruit although I love the red ones cooked or raw.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 01:11 PM

Chutney yaaaaaaaay
G.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: CarolC
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 01:17 PM

Fried green tomatoes are sliced green tomatoes that are coated in batter and deep fried. They sound like they woudn't taste very good, but they actually do taste good and they're fun to eat... especially with ketchup. Down here in the deep south of the US (where this dish originates, if I'm not mistaken), they'll batter and fry just about anything (except for the "sweet tea"). I've even had battered and fried dill pickles at a catfish eatery in Opelika, Alabama.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 01:43 PM

Don't need batter either....just flour, or beaten egg first then flour. Don't get the grease too hot tho..they burn easily. Bacon grease is good if you aren't a veggie.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: GUEST,Sooz sans cookie
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 01:59 PM

Thanks for the tips. We were planning to make chutney but I think we'll be giving the fried green tomatoes a chance as well!

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Peace
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:07 PM

There has already been a thread that dealt with this. (Not trying to close discussion on this one, but maybe someone who knows how to find old threads could link to it here. There were gangs of recipes on it, BTW.)

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: gnu
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:08 PM

Chow? (Some call it chowchow. Why, I have no idea.) Is chutney the same? similar?... onions, vinegar, sugar, spices.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:17 PM

OLD TIME TOMATO PICKLES

8 pounds green tomatoes
3 pounds sugar
2 pints vinegar
One small pile (size of quarter) each-
ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, mustard, celery seeds.

Pickling lime

Cut green tomatoes into wedges. Put 3 cups pickling lime into enough ice water to soak the tomatoes from morning to morning (24 hours). Pour off the water and add clear water twice in 5 hours. Drain.
"Before you go to bed make your syrup from the above ingredients and bring it to a boil. Dump it into the pot containing the drained tomatoes, cover it and go straight to bed. The next morning put pot and all on stove and cook at boil for 30 to 40 minutes.
Spoon out into jars and seal while they are hot."
"This is the typical tomato pickle we've all been eating in the South since the Lord made a Rebel."
Ernest Matthew Mickler, 1986, "White Trash Cooking," The Jargon Society, Ten Speed Press.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

4 large green tomatoes
1/2 cup (120 ml) pancake mix or flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.4 ml) pepper
Shortening for frying

1. Cut tomatoes in 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) slices
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper
3. Coat tomato slices in flour mixture and fry in heavy skillet at medium heat until brown. Drain and serve.
Yield: 6-8 servings.
Bill Ragan, 1978, "The Georgia Cookbook, Traditional Georgia Recipes," Portals Press. (reprints).

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:45 PM

Old thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 02:55 PM

COSSAR'S PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES

2 pints tiny green tomatoes
1 1/3 cups vinegar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons dill seed
2 tablespoons salt
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
4-6 small hot peppers

Fill 2 sterilized pint jars with green tomatoes that have been washed. Bring water and vinegar to a boil. Add spices, garlic, and peppers to the jars. Pour vinegar and water over tomatoes. Seal jars in water bath. Let jars stand upside down for about 24 hours. After about 7 to 10 days, they are ready to serve. Yields 2 pints.
(Use larger ones cut in wedges if tiny whole tomatoes not available.)

A more upscale recipe from Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1985, "Vintage Vicksburg," Wimmer Brothers (also reprints).

GREEN TOMATO RELISH

2 quarts green tomatoes, chopped
1 quart onions, chopped
1/2 cup salt
2 quarts cabbage, chopped
1 quart green peppers, chopped
2 hot peppers, chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped
2 quarts vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 cup dry mustard
1/4 cup tumeric
1 tablespoon celery seed

Sprinkle tomatoes and onions with salt and let stand overnight. Drain above mixture and combine well with other vegetables. Add a little vinegar to dry ingredients to make a paste. Add remaining vinegar and paste to vegetables. In a large saucepan bring relish to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 1 hour. Put into sterilized jars and seal with a water bath.
From "Vintage Vicksburg."

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

2 medium firm green tomatoes
1 cup corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Slice tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Season corn meal with salt and pepper.
Dredge tomatoes in corn meal. Fry immediately in hot oil on both sides until golden brown
Drain on paper towels. Yields 4 servings
From "Vintage Vicksburg."
Superior to the "white Trash" recipe. This recipe works well with sliced okra, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: robomatic
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 05:26 PM

If the French have a recipe for it, it's worth a look:

Confitures de Tomates Vertes

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: mack/misophist
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 06:23 PM

Don't forget that they don't have to be ripe to eat them plain. I prefer them with extra salt. Use potassium chloride if you're on a low sodium diet. It's almost the same (At least I can't taste the difference.)

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 07:25 PM

GREEN TOMATO MARMALADE

1 cup water
2 oranges thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
6 large (4lb.) green tomatoes, chopped
4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook first three items in *Dutch oven over medium heat 17-20 minutes or until fruit tender. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Pour hot mixture into hot jars, filling to 1/4 inch from top. Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw on bands. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes.
Yields 3 pints.
*any thick saucepan or pot.
From that Frenchified site posted by robomatic, but they admit they done stole it from "Southern Living."

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: GUEST,Peter Woodruff
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 08:18 PM

I just came from Morning Glory, my health food store of choice. I purchased a 4 OZ. bag of pickeling spices to add to my green tomatoes.
Maggie and I have more green tomatoes this year than ever. Every year at this time we make green tomato relish from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. I prefer the sweet relish recipe. Just mix a tablespoon of the sweet relish with a small can of tunafish and mayonaise and you have the essence of a delicious tuna melt. Toast a few havlved English muffins in the toaster oven and when toasted add the tuna mix sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and oregano and reheat till the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Peter

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Peace
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 10:38 PM

Thank you, Sorcha.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 11:27 PM

One of my food favorites - with a personal family history back to the Civil War connect to the mop-up soldiers that followed the 60 mile swath of Shermin to the sea.

You do not need to double batter dip....just dust with cornmeal and drop into the bacon grease. YUM

Sincerly,
Gargoyle

No need to post family story to this thread - obviously, it will be "harvested" on another site....and "killer buckaroos" will come floating in from the Smithsonian.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: dianavan
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 04:22 AM

I used to make green tomato mincemeat for my vegetarian household. It was delicious and didn't require suet. I'll try to locate the recipe.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: dianavan
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 04:26 AM

If you like mincemeat, google green tomato mincemeat. Lot of recipes there and it is easy to make and well worth it.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Micca
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 05:07 AM

Of couse, if they are partly ripe you can ripen them by putting them on a sunny window ledge in a plastic bag (Freezer type bag or ziplock) with an apple, apparently they need Ethylene to complete the ripening process and the apple provides it!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: RangerSteve
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 06:56 AM

Last year I tried a recipe I came across for green tomato pie. It was basically an apple pie recipe, with apple pie spices, sugar, a little flour and green tomatoes. Even with slits cut in the top crust, it retained too much liquid and was a soggy mess, so I won't print the recipe. If you come across a recipe somewhere, I recommend passing it by.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 08:02 AM

A trick to rescue that recipe would be to discard all of the liquid bits of the tomatoes, using only the solid flesh bits. That trick is also used with ripe tomatoes to help reduce the liquid content in some recipies.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 08:44 AM

My first idea was a recipe for green tomato marmelade I got years ago from an old friend, but I see there are some given here. So I don't need to rummage through my old archive boxes an to translate it into English. Believe me: Green tomato marmelade tastes excellent!

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 09:08 AM

If you have a garage or cellar, you can pull up the plant by the roots and hang it upside down there. Fruit will continue to ripen for months.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 02:09 PM

Ripen the green tomatoes? Why bother, you can get those red things at your local supermarket (On the other hand, you could just add the green ones to the compost- but some of the recipes make for good eating).
RangerSteve's soggy pie problem. There seem to be a lot of green tomato pie recipes (never made tomato pie, so no experience). Some address the problem by adding a tablespoon of tapioca flour or other thickeners. Type of tomato would make a difference; some recommend 'Roma' type.
Another way would be to dehydrate the toms, in the oven or sun (already short cool days where I am- Thanksgiving next week here).

Years ago, a hospital lab here discarded some dehydrators; solid oak cabinets with a glass window door, and electric heating elements. Kept out of the way on a porch, it was ideal. We used it mostly to dry wild mushrooms (including puffball, see thread currently running). Several generations of metal dehydrators probably have been used and discarded by now, but check local auctions of discarded government items. A good new dehydrator is expensive.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 03:14 PM

Ya, but we are talking REAL tomaotes here..not those cardboard things from the store!!

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: gnu
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 05:24 PM

You got that right Sorcha. Yuk. Water covered in tomato.

Ah... can't recall where I heard this, but... beware of Roma tomatoes from Florida... salmonella is a definite hazard... wash them REALLY well.

My bro and his wife did up two dozen bottles of chow today from Me Mere's recipe. We will see. My sister-in-law likes to "tweek" recipes, so we will see if it "sucks yer cheeks in" or whether she laced it with sugar.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 06:33 PM

You hear all sorts of garbage about fruits and vegetables from somewhere being contaminated with salmonella etc. Don't believe it, the contamination nearly always is from store staff or customers.

Here in western Canada, depending on season, fruits may be from the States, Central America, South America, South Africa, Australia-New Zealand, etc., and we couldn't do without mandarin oranges from Korea, China and Japan. All have been carefully raised and handled. Vegetables from California mostly, but in winter may be from Mexico or other Latin American source, never a problem.
Many of the tomatoes in stores here are vine-ripened and from so-called organic growers (much nonsense associated with that term, but some are quite good). Most varieties will ripen here only in the greenhouse.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Peace
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 06:59 PM

One of the best things I ever did with green tomatoes is let them ripen and make spaghetti sauce with them. Man, what a difference from canned tomatoes.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Peace
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 07:00 PM

PS Just read Gargoyle's suggestion. THAT has gotta be good.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 10:40 PM

If the tomatoes have even a hint of pink on the very bottom they'll ripen just fine on the window sill without any encouragement. I usually pick mine pink because that's the way to beat the birds to them. When they're real green it's a toss-up. Sometimes they ripen by themselves, sometimes they rot. That's when the apple trick would be most useful, if it is a really green green tomato.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Oct 05 - 10:48 PM

Gargoyle made me think of my grandmother, when I was wee. At the back of the stove top was a can into which the bacon grease was collected, to be used in the next fry job or as shortening for corn bread, etc.
And woe betide any male who came in with fish, fried them, and put the used fishy grease into the can.

Subject: RE: BS: Green tomatoes
From: dianavan
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 12:12 AM

That right, SRS.

Once the tomatoes are light orange or yellow they will ripen inside (although I find they ripen better away from the light). They turn a nice dark red. The trick is to pick them with a bit of the stem attached. My uncle says they have all of their flavour when yellow and that if you pick them at that time, the others have a better chance of ripening.

Works for me. I always have lots of tomatoes and they are very sweet.