What to do with my unripe tomatoes

14 years ago

I live in the greater Seattle area and we had a pretty cool spring and a slightly late start to our summer. The summer has been mostly sunnier and warmer than usual for this area (70's-80's). My tomatoes grew very well this year and I have many huge tomatoes...but most of them are still green or just starting to turn color a little. I have been able to harvest some, but I am concerned that most of them are not going to ripen when it it gets cooler this month. What is the best approach to this problem? Someone suggested I uproot the plants when it gets cool and hang them upside down in my greenhouse. Someone else suggested picking them and keeping them in a warm place in the house. Anybody have good/better ideas? Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

seramas
14 years ago
One can eat just so many fried green tomatoes-Try some Green Tomato Relish--It's good! How about some Pickled Green Tomatoes?? The list grows and grows. Just Google 'how to use Green Tomatoes'

Pickled Green Tomatoes:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1736,153184-243194,00.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Tomato Relish
missingtheobvious
14 years ago
My experience last year was that the tomatoes on the vine continued to ripen -- albeit slowly -- in the cooler weather. Most stayed on the vines after frost unexpectedly crisped most of the foliage, and ripened further when the weather warmed again.

What you pick green will never be as good as the tomatoes that have already changed color, so I wouldn't shut down the garden until there's a significant forecast of frost.

If you have quite a lot of green tomatoes, maybe try a bit of everything: picking and ripening indoors by various methods, leaving on the vine, uprooting and hanging the vine in the greenhouse, etc. It's a learning experience!
Related Discussions
What to do with unripe muskmelons
Q
Comments (7)
I did my search on cantaloupe, but was careful to use muskmelon here since all that I had read said that most cantaloupes are really muskmelons, and wanted to be sure to use the correct terminology when seeking expert advice. Either way, cantaloupe or muskmelon, is there something I can do with large, green melons? So sad to have waited all summer and then not be able to do anything with them. :(
...See More
unripe peppers, tomatoes, and frost
Q
Comments (8)
I've read on the forums that you can pull the whole tomato plant and hang it upside down, they'll ripen. Not sure that will work with peppers though. The orange-yellow peppers will ripen inside if you pick them, not sure about the greenish-yellow. Is there a way you can cover the plants? Weight the edges of the tarp/drop cloth down, put jugs of water in between the rows, it will help keep them warmer. I just finished pulling out my tomatoes, plan on covering my peppers tonight - next 2 nights frost advisory but then next week will be in the 70's with lows around 50 so if they survive til the weekend, we should be able to get some more ripe ones.
...See More
What to do with unripe bhuts?
Q
Comments (4)
they unfortunately won't have that classic bhut flavor since they didn't get ripe. but they will still have plenty of heat. my advice would be to cut them up and freeze them (if you cut them up and put them in the freezer on a plate, then when they're frozen transfer them to a bag so they're not frozen together as a big lump) and add them to foods you want to be spicy. again it won't have that awesome flavor, but the flavor isn't BAD when green (just not as awesome as it woulda been if it had time to ripen), and it'll still have plenty of heat.
...See More
Using unripe green tomatoes
Q
Comments (8)
Fried green tomatoes are a Southern delicacy. They're easy to make too, just use the same basic technique used for pan-frying lots of things. (okra, zucchini, chicken, chicken-fried-steak, catfish...) Slice the tomatoes into thick-ish slices (you want them thick, but not so thick that they don't cook all the way through once the outside is done). Dip first in seasoned flour, then in an eggwash (beaten egg and milk), then in cornmeal. Let them sit for a little while to get the breading to stick well. Pan-fry them in a cast-iron skillet with enough oil or fat to come halfway up the tomato slices. Fry on one side until golden brown, then turn and fry on the other side until that side's done. (I've also heard you can do them in the oven for a "healthier" version, but I haven't tried that yet.) Usually served as a side dish, though lately I've been making sandwiches out of mine after having some tasty fried green tomato sandwiches at a local restaurant. They had a version of a BLT with fried green tomatoes, with bacon, lettuce, chipotle mayo, on toasted sourdough bread. Another option is a patty-melt like version I had at another restaurant with melted swiss cheese.
...See More
tedposey
14 years ago
I always have a few (Sometimes a lot) of green tomatos on the vines when the first frost is forecast. I pick all of them. If they are even starting to change color they will ripen and taste almost as good as vine ripened. Wifey pickles the tiny ones,We fry a couple of messes and I make relish with the rest if there are any left.
sandyman720
14 years ago
Green tomato relish is the only relish I will eat. My mother makes a huge batch at the end of the summer and we have it all year long!
johnjsr
14 years ago
Salsa Verde
Chopped green tomatoes
chopped onion
minced jalapeno
cilantro
lime juice
garlic
cumin
salt
sugar
mudmanfinisher
14 years ago
Green tomatoe relish sounds like a good thing to make out of unripened tomatoes. Does anyone have a recipe they would like to post to share with us?
wordwiz
14 years ago
I slice and freeze the green tomatoes. Have enough for about 20 meals so far - the wife loves them.

Mike

What to do with my unripe tomatoes

Comments (7)

seramas

missingtheobvious

Related Discussions

tedposey

sandyman720

johnjsr

mudmanfinisher

wordwiz

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US