Green tomatos

[Rick Potter]

OK, so we tried to grow a garden this year. The only things that worked out were bell peppers and tomatos. The tomatos grew so much they toppled the frames they were in, and we let them grow too much on the ground. Some slugs or bugs started eating the ones laying on the ground, so we cut them back to where the frames are. We cut about half of them back so far, and have 10 or 15 pounds of tomatos picked from the ones we cut.

Problem is, they are all green, because we were trying to save them from the pests. So.......what do we do now? Will they ripen? How should we handle it? Now, the other half that are laying on the ground are waiting to be cut too, as well as harvesting the ones on the standing vines when they are ripe, which looks like a couple weeks.

Like I said, what can we do to ripen them? Are these going to waste? And no, we do not want fried green tomatos.

Thanks,

Rick Potter

[Don Jarvie]

You can put some of the larger ones in the sun and see if they ripen. If your adventerous you can make green tomato relish. Theres plently of recipes on the web and its pretty easy to put them in jars to preserve them.

Don

[Jerome Stanek]

Do not put them in the sun put them in a room that is warm and let them ripen. When I grew up we raised tomatoes for a living and at the end of the seadon this is what we did.. The sun will scald them.

[Ryan Mooney]

Green Tomato Jam - basically a type of chutney, very good. Search the google for recipes. I haven't had one I didn't like :D I do prefer ones with a bit of orange peal in them.

Fried green tomatoes - yep they're real and real good. Dredge in milk (optional) and then toss with flour, salt, pepper (pinch of cayenne opt). Fry in a 1/4" of oil until brown both sides. I like them for breakfast with pancakes. I can't believe you don't want them, so tasty :rolleyes:

Green tomato mincemeat - not a real fan of "real" mincemeat, but I do like the green tomato mincemeat. Again search the google for recipes.. I have an old one from my grandparents but they're mostly similar and its not rocket science.

If you have small/cherry green tomatoes - pickles yep weird but fantastic! I believe there is a good recipe in "The Joy of Pickling".

Or yeah let them ripen. I've also found that leaving them on the vine helps (more like vine tomatoes, less like store cardboard imho).. and - as Jerome noted.. leave them in a warmish room out of direct sun they'll ripen up eventually.

Dang now I wish I had some green tomatoes!!

[Bruce Pratt]

Ethylene, a natural plant hormone, is required for ripening of tomatoes and other fruits. Bananas are a good source of ethylene. Put the green tomatoes in a covered cardboard box (tomatoes stacked no more than 2 deep) or a closed brown paper bag. Add one or more bananas. Store above 55F, preferably at 65-70F, in low humidity. Check every few days to make sure the bananas have not over ripened. Tomatoes should be ripen in 1-3 weeks, depending on how green they are.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Ryan is on target. Become an Honorary Southern Person.

The delicacy in these here parts is fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese. There is an art in doing the tomatoes - you don't want them mushy. And there is an art in making the pimento cheese....my favorite is at a restaurant called Atkins Park - dunno what the secrets are in their recipe.

Follow this up with shrimp and grits. Fresh Georgia shrimp, of course - nunna that imported stuff, and you need real grits - the kind that takes an hour to cook - nunna that instant junk.


Yuuuuuummmmmmmmm!!!

[Rick Potter]

IT WORKED,

Thanks guys, I put baskets of them on the counter in the kitchen, and after two weeks I started getting ripe tomatos. They are taking their time, about half have ripened and gotten eaten so far, and it looks like we will have them all ripe in another 10 days or so. Never did get to try the banana trick, kept forgetting them when at the store. I'll sure try it later. There are still a bunch of greenies on the vine in the garden.

The panel scores again.

Rick Potter

PS: I am southern. Southern CA., where tomatoes are used to make salsa, no grits here except in the sandpaper drawer.