Gardeners know. One chilly evening they forget to protect tender crops from the weather, and the next morning their plants are blackened and limp. Adolescent tomatoes—a lot of them—dangle in the pale autumn sunshine, their lives cut short.
It isn’t necessary to heave those unripe fruits over the fence into a compost heap. Wise gardeners know that green tomatoes are a valuable commodity; indeed, the biggest problem could be deciding which recipe makes best use of these emerald orbs. For the uninitiated, the following recipes are relatively simple, and they cater to two urges that are universal to all gardeners: “eat it now” or “stock up and eat it later.”
Green Tomato Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Ingredients
- 5 medium green tomatoes
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 1 small onion (white or red)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste (for an extra zing, add 1/16 to 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper)
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor (a few tsp of water may help get things started in a blender). Refrigerate unused portion.
Green Tomato Pie
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 green tomatoes (enough to make 2 ½ cups when coarsely chopped)
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp flour
- Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
- 6 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¼ tsp each salt and allspice
- ¼ cup candied ginger, minced
- Pastry for 8-inch pie (2-crust)
Coarsely grate tomatoes; place in colander or cheesecloth and let drain overnight. Prepare pie crust and line 8-inch pie pan. Roll out second half of crust and set aside. Mix remaining ingredients with tomatoes and spoon into pie shell; cover with top crust. Prick holes in crust. Bake at 450º for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º and bake for another 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and serve.
Piccalilli
An excellent relish for meats and sandwiches. A recipe for the home canner.
Ingredients
- 22 medium-sized green tomatoes (about 6 lbs)
- 2 large onions (2 cups chopped)
- 6 green peppers
- 6 sweet red peppers
- 6 cups cider vinegar (5%)
- 3 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup canning/pickling salt
- 1 ½ tsp each ground allspice and ground cinnamon
- 4 tsp celery seeds
- ½ cup mustard seeds
Wash vegetables; core tomatoes, peel onions, and remove seeds, stems, and membranes from peppers. Chop all vegetables in processor or blender. Place in 8-quart kettle; add 4 cups vinegar (put other 2 cups vinegar aside). Boil uncovered 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain and discard liquid. Return vegetables to kettle and add remaining 2 cups vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices. Bring to boil and simmer 3 minutes.
Ladle into 8 hot pint jars, leaving ¼” headspace; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars from bath, cool, label, and store at room temperature.
For more information and more great green tomato recipes, visit: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Green-Tomatoes/Detail.aspx
Stephen Allen Christensen - Dr. Steve Christensen's writing has appeared in magazines, professional journals, poetry anthologies, and children's books since 1976.
Join the Conversation