Did you know?
Home gardeners have a few options at the end of the growing season, when cooler temperatures halt tomatoes from naturally ripening on the vine. If tomatoes have even the slightest hint of a blush, you can bring them inside to ripen. They’ll ripen more quickly on a windowsill, but tomatoes don’t need sunlight to mature.
Buying tips
If you are not lucky enough to have a garden — or friends with gardens — this time of year, you can find green tomatoes in the produce section of some specialty markets or at farmers markets.
Don’t confuse unripened tomatoes with ripe heirlooms that happen to be green in color. The heirlooms will not have the tart flavor needed for frying or pickling.
Storing hints
Do not refrigerate; store at 50 to 70 degrees from one to three weeks.
Preparation tips
Just wash and dry, then remove about 1/4 inch of the stem end before cutting into 1/2-inch slices.
Cooking suggestions
Green tomatoes can be pickled, mixed in chutneys or used as the main ingredient for a treasured Southern classic that some Northern cooks may have first learned about as a menu item at the Whistlestop Cafe in “Fried Green Tomatoes,” the book by Fannie Flagg.
Here is a recipe for them from Jack Bishop’s “Vegetables Every Day”: Cut 2 tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water and dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture. Then dredge the tomatoes in 1/2 cup cornmeal seasoned with 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet; cook the tomatoes, turning once, until brown and crisp, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Salt to taste.
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dpierce@tribune.com
