4 Delicious Ways to Use Green Tomatoes

You’ve had a bumper summer veggie garden, and your countertops, fridges, and pantries have been heaving with piles of sun-ripened tomatoes. You’ve made pico de gallo, marinara sauce, tomato pie, salads, sandwiches, and homemade ketchup.

Come the end of summer, the vines can start to look a little sparse in leaves, and there’s not a red tomato in sight. Green tomatoes, however, are in abundance, but they just refuse to ripen. When it comes time to pull up your vines and put the garden to bed for the winter, it can feel a little disheartening to just chuck the green fruits in the compost bin.

Surprise, you don’t have to. There is a lot of flavor, nutrition, and fun to be had with those underripe gems.

1. Ripen Your Green Tomatoes off the Vine

Source: CaliKim29 Garden & Home DIY/YouTube

If you aren’t really into eating green tomatoes but also don’t want to compost them, you can have a go at ripening them after picking them. We aren’t going to pretend that a tomato ripened off the vine is going to deliver the same sweetness or satisfaction as one ripened by the sun, but they are not to be sniffed at. They can still be brilliant red and as juicy as can be.

All you have to do is put your green tomatoes in a brown paper bag and leave them for a few days. You can check on the every day to make sure that they are not spoiling. You should have ruby red tomatoes in two to three days.

This is also a great method if you accidentally knock a green tomato from the vine before it got a chance to ripen or if you find yourself having to harvest them early in order to beat the critters.

2. Make Fried Green Tomatoes

Source: LaTra Guerra/YouTube

When you mention green tomatoes, this is often the first thing that pops into people’s minds, and for good reason. They are delicious. Though the traditional recipes for this southern favorite usually have milk and eggs in them, there are plenty of vegan versions out there to try.

You can easily substitute milk for plant-based milk and dredge your green tomato slices in an eggless batter. Corn meal makes your fried green tomatoes extra crispy, but bread crumbs work well, too.

You could also try this OGP recipe for Oven-Baked Green Tomatoes if you are looking for something a little healthier. Slather your tomatoes in your favorite creamy dips, such as this vegan aioli or this ranch dressing.

3. Cook Up Some Green Tomato Chutney

Source: Riverford Organic Farmers/YouTube

Chutneys are great to make when you have an abundance of fruit or veg, and you want to preserve them for future use. Green tomatoes are wonderful candidates for making chutney. Sweet and tangy chutney goes beautifully on sandwiches or with curries. Serving chutney with a plate of vegan cheeses and crackers would make a great appetizer.

To make this green tomato chutney, you will reduce down a bunch of chopped green tomatoes with some sugar, vinegar, maybe some raisins or chopped apples, and a bunch of spices. The fun thing about chutney is that you can use your imagination and throw in herbs and spices that you love.  You can make it as hot or tame as you like.

4. Pack Some Super Easy Green Tomato Refrigerator Pickles

Pickling veg has to be one of the easiest ways of preserving food. It is really as simple as filling a jar with whatever veg you have in abundance and pouring vinegar over it. Keep the jar in the fridge and snack on your pickled item whenever you fancy.

You can take any of your favorite pickle recipes and just substitute the listed veg for chunky slices of green tomatoes. Green tomatoes stand up well to pickling and remain crisp with a good bite.

It is best to use distilled white vinegar for this recipe which you can cut with water to make a pickling brine. This awesome OGP recipe for Super-Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles can help you with the process. Add any of your favorite pickling spices.  If you are new to this game, think about mustard seeds, coriander seeds, chopped garlic, and crushed chili flakes as a good start.

There is conflicting opinion out there as to whether or not you should eat green tomatoes raw. Be sure to do your own research before eating them uncooked.

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• Summer Squash and Tomatoes
• Mac and Cheese With Spinach and Tomatoes
• Marinated Tomato Mushroom Bagels

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