Uses For Unripened Tomatoes

Add unripe, green tomatoes to stews or sauces.

Not every tomato gets to ripen on the vine before cold weather hits. If you've grown tomatoes during the summer and find that you have handfuls of unripened fruit at the end of the season, you can still take advantage of the unripe fruit's tangy taste and dense texture without attempting to ripen the fruit on the counter top.

Green Tomato Salsa

Make a version of salsa verde using unripe tomatoes instead of tomatillos. The acidity of the green tomatoes will give the salsa a bright taste and will enliven a standard spicy dish, such as spiced grilled chicken or beef. To make a salsa, chop up the tomatoes along with a sweet onion. Place the chopped vegetables in a dish, then add the juice of one lime and a handful of chopped cilantro. The salsa will develop flavor as the lime juice melds with the tomatoes and onion, so let it sit for a few hours before using.

Fried Tomatoes

Unlike ripe tomatoes, which can be too soft to withstand being battered and fried, green unripe tomatoes are sturdy and thick and can take the heat of the frying pan. Use 1/2 inch thick slices of tomato for a toothsome snack. Recipes for fried green tomatoes vary. Some use cornmeal as a coating while others use flour or bread crumbs. Some recipes have you dip the tomato slices in beaten eggs while others use buttermilk. What the recipes share in common is the addition of cayenne pepper for a little heat. Eat the tomatoes on their own or place them on a roll and eat as a sandwich.

Chutney

Use unripe tomatoes to make a chutney that's perfect for adding flavor to Indian dishes or any other meal that needs a tangy sauce. If you are comfortable canning, you can prepare a large batch of chutney and divide it into individual sterilized glass jars, then preserve for later. Simmer chopped unripe tomatoes with a chopped onion, sugar, the spices of your choice and vinegar for an hour, until the chutney is thick.

Salad

Lightly cooked, slightly warm unripe tomatoes work well in a salad. For a sweet and tart salad, try sauteing sliced unripe tomatoes with sliced ripe stone fruit, such as a peach or nectarine, then toss with vinaigrette. Fried green tomatoes make a good replacement for fried chicken on top of a salad of romaine lettuce and buttermilk dressing. Another option is to use unripe tomato salsa in place of a dressing on a taco-style salad.

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