# What to do with small green tomatoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685 "2015-10-15T02:14:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/1 "2015-10-15T02:14:08Z")
The end of the garden for the season seems like it is close at hand, especially the tomatoes. We still have half a billion smallish green heirloom tomatoes on the vine, of about 5 different varieties. What can I do with them? Chutney intrigues me (and I am willing to try my hand at canning it), but what else can I make? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/2 "2015-10-15T02:25:56Z")
[Slice and pan-fry?](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16760/best-fried-green-tomatoes/) ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/3 "2015-10-15T02:30:52Z")
I’ve had green tomato pickles, green tomato chow chow, and green tomato relish or piccalilli. They are all variations on a theme, google for a few recipes to look at. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/4 "2015-10-15T02:30:59Z")
Pickling them would seem the obvious option to me. (I lurves me some pickled green tomatoes.) ETA: Or any of **Cub Mistress** ’s relish-type suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/5 "2015-10-15T02:42:53Z")
One word. Paintball gun. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/6 "2015-10-15T03:47:40Z")
I absolutely adore green tomato relish, so that’s my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/7 "2015-10-15T04:01:51Z")
Pickle them of course! ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/8 "2015-10-15T04:19:55Z")
Green tomato pasta sauce isn’t bad either. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_gnomer/32/3466_2.png) [@Miss\_Gnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/9 "2015-10-15T12:03:51Z")
Green tomato chocolate cake!! Trust me … no one will know there are green tomatoes in there … it is yum!! (I had the same issue at the end of tomato season … I’m never going to eat that much chutney in my life … but pureeing them and putting it in chocolate cake was amazing!) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/10 "2015-10-15T12:16:36Z")
If you have a crock and some patience, pickled green tomatoes are delicious. If you still have a pepper or two in the garden, you can throw those in the crock too and your pickles will have a little bite. The best pickled green tomatoes that I’ve ever had require nothing but a crock, some pickling salt, and some fennel seed (along with the tomatoes). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/11 "2015-10-15T12:22:06Z")
We’ve always allowed one corner of our garden to self reseed tomatoes and it’s amazing how nice that corner is every year. In the spring we thin out all but the nicest looking plants and let things go from there. So, one answer is to do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![northporlarbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7bcc69/32.png) [@northporlarbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/northporlarbear)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/12 "2015-10-15T14:41:42Z")
Don’t they turn red if you wait long enough? Like bananas turn black? ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/13 "2015-10-15T16:33:38Z")
Find a chili verde recipe you like that uses tomatillos. Substitute the green tomatoes for thetomatillos. [https://www.google.com/search?q=chili+verde+recipe&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8](https://www.google.com/search?q=chili+verde+recipe&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/14 "2015-10-15T17:21:38Z")
> [@northporlarbear](#): > > Don’t they turn red if you wait long enough? Like bananas turn black? I think they have to be fully mature and not yet ripe, but yeah, they’ll eventually ripen. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/15 "2015-10-15T17:39:42Z")
This likely wouldn’t work so well in your location unless you have a root cellar to keep them from freezing, but folks around here wrap them individually in newspaper and store them in crates in a shed to pull from later and let ripen on the window sill. If that’s not an option, if you’re interested in a pickle relish called _Last of the Garden_, when I get home, I’ll pull out Grandma’s recipe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/16 "2015-10-15T17:42:59Z")
Not all green tomatoes will ripen. Look at the bottom of the tomato, if there is a small white “star” at the blossom end, it will ripen. If not, pickle or fry it. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/17 "2015-10-15T17:58:34Z")
The easiest and best thing I’ve made is salsa. If you have a meat grinder you can make enough salsa for a case of pint jars in about 15 minutes. The first time I tried it, it came out good but didn’t have much depth of flavor. I added a little tomato paste and it’s some of the best salsa I’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/18 "2015-10-15T23:11:32Z")
For something a little different, try [Green Tomato Mincemeat](http://southernfood.about.com/od/greentomatoes/r/bl30515t.htm). It’s suitable for canning and is better with a little aging. It makes a lovely pie or tart filling. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/19 "2015-10-15T23:45:58Z")
> [@PlumBob](#): > > Find a chili verde recipe you like that uses tomatillos. Substitute the green tomatoes for thetomatillos. > > [chili verde recipe - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=chili+verde+recipe&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) This. I know green tomatoes are not the same as tomatillos, but I have substituted them very successfully when in the same position as the OP. They make really good salsa, enchilada sauce , etc. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685/20 "2015-10-16T01:30:56Z")
Thanks guys - I will have to review and ponder (and possibly find some small canning jars). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-small-green-tomatoes/734685.md?page=2)