How To Use Your Crop Of Green Tomatoes This Summer
Don't stop with the fried version.
While some tomatoes are better for certain dishes than others, we don’t discriminate when it comes to this summer crop. While drip-down-your-face farmers' market heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes usually get all the attention, you may be surprised to find that the humble green tomato is good for more than just a delicious fried appetizer.
In the South, when you think of green tomatoes, it’s likely under-ripe tomato varieties that are picked before turning red. These are the ones most commonly used for fried green tomatoes. They’re firm, making them easy to slice, grill, and pickle. But did you know there are also varieties that turn green when ripe? These are great for enjoying in the same manner you would a juicy red tomato—on a simple tomato sandwich or mixed into a summer salad.
Not sure how to use them other than frying them? Here's what to do with green tomatoes.
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Don’t let tomato season be confined to summertime. Capture all the delicious flavors of this favored fruit in a jar to enjoy it year-round with a quick and easy brine. There’s little you can’t add these pickled green tomatoes to, especially in the salad category—potato, pasta, tomato, and of course leafy green salads. Pile them on a sandwich or burger, turn them into a relish or dressing, or better yet eat them straight out of the jar. You could even add them as a garnish to your Bloody Mary. Needless to say, you’ll want to stock your pantry with jars of this stuff.
Grill Them
While they might not be battered and fried, grilled green tomatoes are a delicious (and healthier) alternative that offers fresh flavor. Green tomatoes are firmer than other varieties, which makes them ideal for grilling. Once they come off the grill you’ll be tempted to stop right there and enjoy them because you'll see that grilling them is worth the effort.
Serve Them Fresh
Eating green tomatoes raw is often overlooked, but we’re changing that narrative. When prepared the right way, this unripe variety has the potential to be just as delicious as other tomato dishes. Use them in a slaw, make a fresh green salsa by chopping them like tomatillos and mixing in jalapeños and cilantro, or even layer them onto a classic BLT sandwiched between layers of crispy crispy bacon, mayonnaise, and lettuce. They will have more of a bite than your go-to tomato sandwich variety. But our favorite way to use fresh green tomatoes is a ripe heirloom variety, such as Green Zebra, stacked with avocado and vinaigrette.
Fry Them
This is the most obvious and well-known method for enjoying green tomatoes. These crisped-to-perfection rounds are a true Southern delicacy. You can’t go wrong serving them up this way whether they’re classic fried green tomatoes, Air Fryer fried, layered atop a salad with buttermilk dressing, or stacked in place of juicy red tomatoes on a BLT sandwich. Regardless of how you choose to make and serve them, we guarantee you won’t be able to fry them fast enough.
Puree Them
Refreshing summer soups can be made from a variety of produce and while Watermelon Gazpacho might be your go to, the unsung hero of cold soups is Green Tomato Gazpacho. The blend of cucumbers, bell peppers, herbs, and tomatoes comes together in minutes. You could also use green tomatoes in place of chiles for a milder green enchilada sauce. Or add them to a blended creamy green dressing.
Use Them In A Pie
There will never be anything better than a simple tomato pie laden with onions, a medley of cheeses, and brightly colored heirloom tomatoes in the summer, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you try a green tomato dessert pie. With warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, orange zest, and some sugar, our Green Tomato Pie and Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie bring all the things you love about an apple pie in the fall to the summer table. For a savory option, make Heirloom Tomato Pie, or you could also scatter them atop a homemade pizza or use deli-made dough for a speedy focaccia-like appetizer.
Make Chowchow
A traditional chowchow is a good way to use up a large amount of green tomatoes and preserve summer produce at the end of the season. This Southern condiment adds sweetness, spice, and tang to a variety of dishes. Use this pickled relish to top pork chops, hotdogs, deviled eggs, or greens. Besides green tomatoes, it's made with cabbage, onions, and bell peppers, sweetened with sugar, and spiced with allspice, dry mustard, dried chiles, or celery seeds. Put up some of Nannie's Chow-Chow Relish for the winter months. You'll be glad you did.
Turn Them Into Jam
Swap out ripe red tomatoes for your abundance of green ones to make sweet and tangy Tomato Jam you can enjoy year-round. Slather it on biscuits, top burgers, layer it in your grilled cheese, or spread it on crackers. You'll find every reason to pull out a jar of this condiment. Add hot sauce or crushed chili flakes to give it an extra kick.
Toss Them In A Salad
You can't go wrong with a fresh salad during summer, and it's a great way to use an abundance of produce. Cut green tomatoes into wedges and add them to BLT Salad with Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing and Buttery Croutons. Use a variety of garden tomatoes for a range of flavors.
Frequently asked Questions
Will green tomatoes ripen when picked?
Tomatoes continue to ripen after they are picked as long as they are kept at room temperature. You can expose green tomatoes to other produce to fasten the ripening process, or eat them as they are.
Can you freeze green tomatoes?
Yes, just like red tomatoes, you can freeze green tomatoes whole or chopped. Wash and core the tomatoes, then freeze in layers on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container until ready to thaw.
Why do you only fry green tomatoes?
Green tomatoes are firm and less juicy than ripe red tomatoes, making them good candidates for frying. Juicy tomatoes may get soggy and not hold their shape during the frying process.
