Got green tomatoes? Here are all the best green tomato recipes for how to use this tart and tasty bright green vegetable (er…fruit).

Green tomatoes

Got green tomatoes? We’ve got recipes! Cooking with unripe red tomatoes is an age-old tradition, which extends the life of summer tomatoes once the cool weather starts to hit. Fried green tomatoes are the most famous use in Southern cuisine, but guess what? There are many more exciting ways to eat them than just fried. Like a tangy electric green salsa that’s like a salsa verde, perfect for dipping crunchy chips or loading onto tacos. Here are all the best green tomato recipes, and a little about the famous vegetable (or really…fruit!).

What are green tomatoes?

But first: what exactly are green tomatoes? They’re not just any tomato that’s green in color. Green tomatoes are late season red tomatoes that haven’t ripened, leaving them green and hard. They have tart, zingy flavor and a robust texture. These are the tomatoes that are left on the vine after the summer temperatures have cooled down.

Don’t confuse the green tomato with varieties of tomatoes that are bred to be green when ripe! The green zebra tomato is a good example of a green-when-ripe tomato. This type of tomato tastes juicy and sweet, just like a red tomato. You can grow these or find them at your local farmer’s market. Avoid these varieties if you’re making any of these green tomato recipes: they don’t have that signature tart flavor.

And now: the best green tomato recipes!

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Pickled green tomatoes

10 Tasty Green Tomato Recipes


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart 1x

Description

The best way to preserve green tomatoes? As pickles! These pickled green tomatoes are the perfect condiment: tangy, salty, and 100% delicious.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups green tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Wash a wide-mouth 1-quart mason jar and and its lid in hot soapy water, then rinse and let air dry.
  2. Slice the tomatoes into wedges and pack them tightly into the jar. (If you have very large tomatoes, you may want to slice them into smaller wedges.)
  3. Peel the garlic. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, vinegar, water, dill, peppercorns, turmeric, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.
  4. Once dissolved, pour the brine mixture into the jar, allowing the garlic to settle on top of the vegetables. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Discard any remaining brine, or top off the jar with extra water if any tomatoes are exposed at the top. Screw on the lid tightly and allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating. If desired, discard the garlic after 24 hours. Keeps up to 1 month refrigerated.
  • Category: Essentials
  • Method: Pickling
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Green tomato recipes

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About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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18 Comments

  1. Thank you for providing these recipes; my Community’s garden club is going to test them out….I am looking forward to the experience…they all look so delicious 😋

  2. OMG – we get a farm basket weekly and were trying to decide what to do with our green tomatoes besides frying them. I stumbled across your recipe and IT IS THE BOMB – DELISH – we may eat them all tonight! LOVE LOVE LOVE

  3. You have some very good ideas for combining the veggies I am growing in my garden this summer. In Florida we are having alot of rain so the tomatoes are splitting and I have to take them from the vines early. I will incorporate some of your ideas to use the fruit. Thank you ! Joni Carroll

  4. I like your recipes but I think you missed a great one. Green tomato pie, it tastes almost like a apple pie. I still use my mother’s recipe.

    1. Please send me your mothers green tomato pie recipe I would love to try it I have a bushel of green tomatoes I need to do something with

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