Green tomato advice?

Black River · October 24, 2011

After a long, hot, dry, unproductive summer, our tomatoes have set lots of fruit and gone crazy growing. I literally have hundreds of green tomatoes on the vine, and we have been picking all the ones that have any blush to them (also trying to beat the hens to them). I wondered if the experts here could give me some advice on what to do with all these green tomatoes? We've had a few light frosts here, but as of right now the average low has been around 40 or so. I'm expecting a killing frost soon, though, so is there a way to hasten ripening? We've brought a few of the bigger green ones in and they're in the windowsill, but i can't tell they're ripening any.

Should i go ahead and pick them?

semi_lucid · October 24, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black River

After a long, hot, dry, unproductive summer, our tomatoes have set lots of fruit and gone crazy growing. I literally have hundreds of green tomatoes on the vine,

I had the same thing this year. I have been wondering if the plants know they didn't produce anything during the summer, and are trying to reproduce themselves before they die.

I can't imagine how a plant could have such a memory, but they started growing like crazy during September and October. Thousands of new flowers.

There is info on green tomatoes in the thread" Texas Drought"

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=texas

travis · October 24, 2011

Pick them all right before impending frost. Sort them out by size. Take the good sound ones without cracks that look large enough to ripen and briefly dip them in cool water with a tablespoon of bleach in the water. Then rinse and dry them, and put them in paper sacks in a cool, dry place. Or set them on a shelf out of direct light.

Use the other green tomatoes to make relish or bread and butter pickles. I also use green tomatoes the same way as tomatillos, like for salsa verde. Boil them a bit first to soften them, and toss them in a blender with a couple of roasted jalapenos, two or three scallions, and some chopped cilantro leaves and stems.

Jeannine Anne · October 25, 2011

They make a good pie filling, same as you would use apples..can post recipe if needed.XX Jeannine

huntoften · October 26, 2011

Jeannine is right on! Green tomato pie is as good, if not better than apple! Chop them up and store in the freezer and cook GTP's all winter long! I froze 3 gallons of them last night.

Jeannine Anne · October 26, 2011

I have great recipe for zuchinni pie filling that you would never know from apple either..and it uses the big overgrown ones and 7 cups worth to a pie so can really use them up.wrong place sorry..

XX Jeannine

Zana · October 26, 2011

check out the green tomato recipe thread ...lots of great ideas there. Love the green tomato mincemeat....which I thought was marvelous hot or cold on ice cream, or in pies/tarts.

Black River · October 28, 2011

Thanks for the replies....I had to go out of town to work today, and the forecast for tomorrow night calls for a low of 35. My wife and kids are going to pick the best looking tomatoes tomorrow evening before dark. There's no way they can pick them all, my wife babysits until about 5:30 pm. It looks like soon will be the end of these fine heirloom plants we raised for the first time from seed. It's been a great first-time journey, and i'm already wanting to start sprouting new seedlings again. It was particularly painful to watch them struggle through the summer but we kept them alive.

This year I have to learn that i can't plant ALL my seedlings....i'll give them away if i have to. I need to keep it down to a more manageable number. We planted 95 plants, way too close together, and tried the Florida weave, and it wasn't long before no amount of twine would hold them....i ended up with lots of broken twine and stakes. Lessons learned! And i'm going to experiment on a couple of plants to learn to prune and pinch suckers properly.

When we dropped our daughter off for college at the UofA back in August, we had the opportunity to drop by Baker Creek Seed Co. and tour Bakersville and shop from the seed store. I picked up a few new to me varieites that i hope can withstand the summer heat here better.

SEAMSFASTER · October 28, 2011

I appreciate the timely advice! I picked nearly 1,000 lbs. of green tomatoes yesterday. The freezer and canning jars are already stuffed with tomato products. Not much of a market for green tomatoes. Having trouble even giving them away...

I've made some very good green tomato salsa, but still have some left in canning jars from last year!

I would appreciate seeing a green tomato pie recipe - that's something I've never heard of before! Perhaps if I give out recipes along with a bag of green tomatoes, people will take them off my hands!

October 24, 2011	#1
Black River Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 16	Green tomato advice? After a long, hot, dry, unproductive summer, our tomatoes have set lots of fruit and gone crazy growing. I literally have hundreds of green tomatoes on the vine, and we have been picking all the ones that have any blush to them (also trying to beat the hens to them). I wondered if the experts here could give me some advice on what to do with all these green tomatoes? We've had a few light frosts here, but as of right now the average low has been around 40 or so. I'm expecting a killing frost soon, though, so is there a way to hasten ripening? We've brought a few of the bigger green ones in and they're in the windowsill, but i can't tell they're ripening any. Should i go ahead and pick them?

October 26, 2011	#5
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Jeannine is right on! Green tomato pie is as good, if not better than apple! Chop them up and store in the freezer and cook GTP's all winter long! I froze 3 gallons of them last night. __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

October 24, 2011	#3
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Pick them all right before impending frost. Sort them out by size. Take the good sound ones without cracks that look large enough to ripen and briefly dip them in cool water with a tablespoon of bleach in the water. Then rinse and dry them, and put them in paper sacks in a cool, dry place. Or set them on a shelf out of direct light. Use the other green tomatoes to make relish or bread and butter pickles. I also use green tomatoes the same way as tomatillos, like for salsa verde. Boil them a bit first to soften them, and toss them in a blender with a couple of roasted jalapenos, two or three scallions, and some chopped cilantro leaves and stems.

October 25, 2011	#4
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,553	They make a good pie filling, same as you would use apples..can post recipe if needed.XX Jeannine

October 26, 2011	#7
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	check out the green tomato recipe thread ...lots of great ideas there. Love the green tomato mincemeat....which I thought was marvelous hot or cold on ice cream, or in pies/tarts.

October 28, 2011	#8
Black River Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NE Arkansas Posts: 16	Thanks for the replies....I had to go out of town to work today, and the forecast for tomorrow night calls for a low of 35. My wife and kids are going to pick the best looking tomatoes tomorrow evening before dark. There's no way they can pick them all, my wife babysits until about 5:30 pm. It looks like soon will be the end of these fine heirloom plants we raised for the first time from seed. It's been a great first-time journey, and i'm already wanting to start sprouting new seedlings again. It was particularly painful to watch them struggle through the summer but we kept them alive. This year I have to learn that i can't plant ALL my seedlings....i'll give them away if i have to. I need to keep it down to a more manageable number. We planted 95 plants, way too close together, and tried the Florida weave, and it wasn't long before no amount of twine would hold them....i ended up with lots of broken twine and stakes. Lessons learned! And i'm going to experiment on a couple of plants to learn to prune and pinch suckers properly. When we dropped our daughter off for college at the UofA back in August, we had the opportunity to drop by Baker Creek Seed Co. and tour Bakersville and shop from the seed store. I picked up a few new to me varieites that i hope can withstand the summer heat here better.

October 28, 2011	#9
SEAMSFASTER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: American Fork, Utah Posts: 160	I appreciate the timely advice! I picked nearly 1,000 lbs. of green tomatoes yesterday. The freezer and canning jars are already stuffed with tomato products. Not much of a market for green tomatoes. Having trouble even giving them away... I've made some very good green tomato salsa, but still have some left in canning jars from last year! I would appreciate seeing a green tomato pie recipe - that's something I've never heard of before! Perhaps if I give out recipes along with a bag of green tomatoes, people will take them off my hands!