Everyone has recipes for tomatoes – sauce, soup, salads, sandwiches, the list goes on and on. But when the garden season draws to a close and you find yourself staring at a bunch of green tomatoes, that list often comes up short. Fried green tomatoes. Then what? Oh, my friend, we’ve got you covered.
If this fall finds you up to your eyeballs in green tomatoes, we’ll help you put them to good use. Of course, if you aren’t a huge green tomato fan, you can easily ripen green tomatoes to perfection indoors. Learn how here.
Hurry Up and Turn Red!
If the leaves have started turning colors and you’ve noticed the days aren’t quite as long as they used to be, it’s time to start taking stock of your tomatoes. It’s not too late to ripen up some of those remaining tomatoes, both on and off the vine.
Topping
I highly encourage folks to top their tomatoes in September. This encourages your plants to put their energy into ripening and stops their campaign of total garden domination. There are some other good reasons for topping your tomatoes this time of year. (You can read about them and how to do it here.)
If it’s past September when you’re reading this and you’ve still got some time before your first frost, go ahead and top them anyway.
Ripening On the Vine
There are a few things you can do to ripen your tomatoes a little faster this time of year. If your temperatures have cooled off a bit, you can prune out some of the leaves to allow better airflow and light to the remaining green tomatoes. This will definitely help speed up the process. Of course, topping also helps a great deal, too. Stop watering as often and stop fertilizing. By putting a little stress on the plant, you will encourage it to ripen up those remaining fruits faster. Also, pick any tomatoes that are at the breaker stage.
Ripening Off the Vine
Most people leave tomatoes on the vine far longer than they need to. This can slow growth and new fruit production, and there’s really no benefit. You see, it’s not the light that causes tomatoes to ripen, but rather the temperature.
Tomatoes begin ripening from the inside out. That’s because ethylene is produced first in the center of the tomato. Once the tomato reaches a certain point of ripeness, you can actually pick the tomato, and it will continue to ripen off the vine. It doesn’t need to be on the vine or in the sun to continue to develop flavor. In fact, once the tomato reaches the breaker stage, it is actually sealed off at the stem from the rest of the plant and no longer receives nutrients anymore. You can read all about the breaker stage and how to recognize it here.
In the meantime, bring your almost-ripe and breaker stage tomatoes indoors and place them somewhere warm and dry (not in the sunlight). Place them stem scar side down to prevent moisture loss and make sure they aren’t touching (for good airflow). You’ll be surprised at how fast they ripen up.
What Am I Going To Do With All of These Green Tomatoes?
Okay, we’ve ripened up all the tomatoes we could. Now it’s time to do something with all the green ones.
1. Fried Green Tomatoes
Well, we’ll kick this list off with a classic – the tried and true – Fried Green Tomato. These things are so delicious that you could easily polish off a number of green tomatoes with just this recipe. But even classics get old after a while, so when you’ve had your fill, we’ve got quite a few more ideas.
2. Quick Pickled Green Tomatoes
This is a great way to use up green tomatoes that doesn’t require a day of canning in the kitchen. Plus, pickled green tomatoes are one of those dishes that are a little different than the average pickle. And sometimes, that’s just what the doctor ordered.
3. Homemade Green Tomato Relish
If you’re a fan of relish (hi, friend), then you’ll love this recipe. We all know and love the traditional dill pickle relish, but this puts a whole new spin on relish. Kick up your burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches with this delightfully delicious green tomato relish from our own Cheryl.
4. Zingy Green Tomato Salsa
If relish isn’t your thing (or you’ve still got more tomatoes to burn through), how about some salsa? While it’s not the salsa verde we all know and love, it’s definitely green and quite tasty. Can up a few jars to go with chips on Taco Tuesdays.
5. Green Tomato Fritters
This riff on the classic fried green tomatoes is definitely worth a try. Unlike the traditional cornmeal batter, this recipe dives into full-on fried food territory, and all the goodness that entails. Crunchy, golden brown on the outside with the warm, jammy texture of fried green tomatoes inside. Sorry, I drooled on my keyboard a little.
6. Green Tomato Jam
You might not want this on your morning toast. Then again, you might. But savory jams are a delight for sandwiches, dropping a spoonful in soup or slathering over chicken or a pork tenderloin. Don’t forget, it’s the perfect way to turn a ho-hum burger into something special. And this green tomato jam has a little something extra that really makes it sing. (Hint: it’s the ginger!)
7. Green Tomato Raspberry Jam
Wait, what? Yup, you wouldn’t think so, but green tomatoes and raspberries are a match made in heaven. And the best part? You can can this recipe or freeze it. A quick note: many commenters suggested putting the tomatoes in a food processor rather than grating for better consistency.
8. Green Tomato Ketchup
A little bit sweet, a little bit sour. If you’re bored with the same old ketchup, you’ll want to give this condiment a try. Perhaps you even remember a time when Heinz made green ketchup. Since they stopped making it in 2006, devotees of green tomato ketchup have had to make their own.
9. Green Tomato Chutney
Chutney is like jam’s older eccentric family member. It’s a bit more refined, but it’s still a hit at parties. Chutney is often tangy and flavorful, and, in my humble opinion, it should be a staple at every cheeseboard or charcuterie.
So far, we’ve been exploring ways to preserve a large quantity of green tomatoes. But there are some great ways to incorporate green tomatoes into every meal. Be sure to save some for these tasty dishes.
10. Green Tomato Chili Pepper Sauce
We’re a house full of hot sauce nuts. So, of course, when it comes to using up green tomatoes, a green tomato hot sauce was top of my mind. This recipe uses several types of green chili peppers to preserve that gorgeous green color. Use whatever green hot chilis you have growing.
11. Fried Green Tomato and Goat Cheese Frittata
Whether you enjoy frittata at breakfast or for a quick weeknight meal, this is a great way to use up green tomatoes. And like most frittatas, it tastes even better the next day, served cold. With a clever combination of green tomatoes and goat cheese, leftovers won’t last long; maybe you should make two batches.
12. Green Tomato Quiche
Frittatas are great, but I always feel like they’re missing something – a flaky, buttery crust. I love a good quiche, and it’s hard to go wrong with a recipe filled with fresh veggies from the garden. Why, green tomatoes, of course.
13. Green Tomato Bloody Mary
Look, if we’re making green tomato brunch a thing with quiche or frittata, we’ve got to have a Bloody Mary to go with it. Because let’s face it, a green tomato mimosa would probably be gross. This green tomato Bloody Mary is gorgeous in the glass, so be sure to serve it at your next summer or early fall brunch.
14. Grilled Green Tomatoes
If you’re firing up the grill, be sure to grab a few green tomatoes. It doesn’t get easier than this. You’ll want to slice them a bit thicker so they hold up to the heat of the grill and don’t fall apart. But the high heat of the grill caramelizes the sugars in the tomatoes for an amazing side dish to accompany whatever protein you’re throwing on there.
15. Roasted Green Tomato Soup
Okay, hear me out. You have to make this just for the color alone. It’s such a gorgeous, bright green. And the flavor? Not unfamiliar. It actually tastes quite a bit like its red cousin, only brighter and a bit more zippy.
16. Tangy Green Tomato Chili
If you want a hearty meal, swap out the traditional red tomatoes of chili and sub in your green tomatoes. This might just be your new favorite chili recipe.
17. Green Tomato and Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Sure, you could serve these as a side to your next meal. Or you could eat half of them hot and steaming right out of the oven. Oops!
18. Green Tomato Casserole
Okay, want to hear something funny? My son-in-law hates the word casserole. Anytime I make a casserole when they come over for dinner, we call it a dish. I don’t know. He’s pretty great even with this quirk. This creamy, cheesy casserole is so good, I’ll bet we could get away with using its proper name. This is the perfect meal for a rainy fall day when the garden is still cranking out green tomatoes.
19. Chicken and Green Tomato Risotto
The green tomatoes add a soft crunch while the chicken adds a little extra protein to the risotto. Risotto seems much fancier than it is and is surprisingly easy to make. This is the perfect comfort food.
20. Green Tomato Pizza with Onions and Cheddar
We do pizza in our house at least once a week, and a margarita pizza is almost always on the menu. But for a different flavor profile that’s brighter and has a bit of tang, give this tomato a try. The combination of green tomatoes, onions and cheddar, rather than mozzarella, is unbeatable.
21. Green Tomato Pasta Sauce
For something a bit lighter and a little less time-consuming, give green tomato pasta sauce a try. You’ll be reaching for this delicious and quick pasta sauce time and again. Even better – you can freeze it for a bright, fresh green sauce in the middle of winter.
22. Green Tomato Bread
Sure, we’ve all made zucchini bread when we’re up to our eyeballs in zucchini. But why not green tomato bread? You’ll get an equally moist and delicious sweet bread that’s meant to put a dent in all those green tomatoes crowding your counter.
23. Green Tomato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Think super-moist cross between a coffee cake and a carrot cake. Yeah, I know. I’ll be having two slices as well. And this recipe uses four cups of green tomatoes, so it makes short work of those tomatoes taking up space on your counter.
24. Green Tomato Pie
If you want to have some fun at your next dinner party, make this wonderful green tomato pie for dessert. Serve it a la mode or with a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese. Then make your guests guess what kind of pie they are eating. You’ll hear, “Apple!” from nearly all of them.
25. Green Tomato Bar Cookies
If you love Fig Newtons, you’re going to love these bar cookies. These bar cookies have a jammy texture in the middle that tastes similar to figs. And it’s much easier to find the main ingredients for these. Save this for when you’re tired of savory green tomato recipes.
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