Seeking MeFi-tested and approved green tomato recipes

October 19, 2020 8:52 AM

I can search the web and find dozens of recipes and lists-of-recipes aimed at using up green tomatoes. Tell me about ones you've actually tried and enjoyed.

I have probably 30 pounds of green tomatoes, half cherry, half not. I intend to slow ripen some of them. I'm not going to can anything, but I will happily adapt canning recipes for my freezer.

posted by deludingmyself to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

Best answer: At the risk of stating the obvious, we make fried green tomatoes once a year** and it's a mini holiday.

(1) Slice green tomatoes 1/4 - 1/2" thick
(2) Dip and coat using a three step process:
* Dip in flour to coat
* Dip in egg/milk combo (whisk 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk together, scale up based on how many tomatoes you have)
* Dredge in combo of cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper (1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, scaled up as necessary)
(3) Brown them in EVOO over medium high heat

We made about 80 tomato slices this year. Leftovers reheat well in a toaster oven.

** once a year b/c it's labor intensive and they work best with "real" green tomatoes from your garden rather than stuff from the store
posted by AgentRocket at 9:51 AM on October 19, 2020

Best answer: I made roasted green tomato soup after our first frost & it was delicious. I mostly followed the recipe, but instead of roasting heads of garlic I used "Better than Boullion" roasted garlic soup base for my broth, used a splash of cider vinegar instead of the sherry, and did not puree the soup.
posted by belladonna at 10:01 AM on October 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Green tomato chow is a great condiment. Especially with baked beans and fish cakes as is traditional. It is normally canned but should freeze well.
posted by hydrobatidae at 12:24 PM on October 19, 2020

Best answer: Pie! Layer sliced green tomatoes with caramelized onion, muenster, and Swiss; sprinkle some breadcrumbs between the layers. Bake it in a regular pie crust. Make a few and freeze some unnamed for a end of summer treat in the dead of winter.
posted by wg at 12:43 PM on October 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Chop coarsely, maybe some spices, roast on a lightly oiled pan 400F until a few of them are showing blisters and char, eat as a side/relish? It gets unexpectedly viscous and jammy so I expect it would freeze OK.
posted by clew at 2:09 PM on October 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Dehydrate then grind into a power. Use as a substitute for amchur (green mango powder) or tamarind.
posted by aniola at 4:49 PM on October 19, 2020

Response by poster: Fantastic answers so far. I have just made the roasted green tomato soup for tomorrow's dinner, and I'm very intrigued by the green mango powder substitute. Not an ingredient I've used before, but given that I already have a dehydrator hard at work on ripe cherry tomatoes, definitely something I can try!
posted by deludingmyself at 8:53 PM on October 19, 2020