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Uses for Green Tomatoes – Delicious Any Time!

Uses for Green Tomatoes – Delicious Any Time!

Green tomatoes are such an underrated product of the garden and should be celebrated for their range and versatility in dishes. Whether you’re harvesting green tomatoes out of early garden excitement, looming garden pests, or a predicted frost, you’re sure to find many uses for green tomatoes that you’ll love.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy a green tomato is to dice it up into small pieces and add it to my salad. They add a crisp, tart, and bold flavor with much more crunch and a lot less water than a typical ripe red tomato.

If you’re looking for easy green tomato recipes, you’ve come to the right place because we’ve got you covered. Here are six great recipes to use up all of those yummy green tomatoes.

Uses for Green Tomatoes

There are many ways you can use green tomatoes. In fact, you can enjoy them in much the same way you’d enjoy ripe tomatoes, and in particular, tomatillos. Here’s a list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

  • Chutney – a sweet and sour Indian condiment
  • Egg bake – substitute green tomatoes for red in your favorite recipe or top of any egg casserole dish with sliced green tomatoes
  • Jelly – a western version of chutney that provides a pleasing tangy sweetness fit for toast or gourmet crackers
  • Lentil curry with green tomatoes
  • Kimchee*
  • Marinara sauce / green tomato pasta sauce
  • Pickled green tomatoes (on Amazon)
  • Pie – yes! An old recipe rebooted, a green tomato pie as a substitute for green apple pie
  • Powdered – dehydrated and powdered for:
    • guacamole (and other) seasoning
  • Relishes – green tomato relish (here’s an example on Amazon)
  • Salads – diced fresh into salads of all kinds, from tossed salads to dandelion salad, to your favorite pasta veggie salad, to Mexican black bean salad (just substitute with green tomatoes)
  • Salsa:
    • green tomato salsa
    • green and red tomato salsa
    • Salsa molcajeteada – a handmade roast tomato and tomatillo Mexican salsa prepared in a traditional stone molcajete.
    • salsa verde (using green tomatoes instead of tomatillos or in addition to)
  • Sauces – such as green enchilada sauce
  • Soup:
  • Tomatillo substitute – green tomatoes are the closest substitute for tomatillos

*A friend GardensAll friend said:

“Green tomatoes make a really good kimchi. Or, if you don’t want to wait for it to ferment since the green tomatoes are nice and sour you can just mix the kimchi ingredients in and eat it the next day as a salad.”
~Debie Baugher

Image of Uses for green tomatoes in cooking and salads

Green Tomato Recipes

Green Tomato Salsa

If you’re looking for a uniquely tart and zingy salsa, this is the recipe for you. Green tomato salsa tastes extra crisp and fresh, even if you can it and store it away for later. Even in the dead of winter, a jar of green tomato salsa will make you feel like you’re back in the summertime.

Tomato salsa is surprisingly simple to make and yet expensive to buy, especially if you’re growing your own ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound of green tomatoes (about three tomatoes, or one and a half cups)
  • 1/2 large white onion (red or yellow works too, but doesn’t taste as balanced)
  • 1-3 peppers, depending on the size and intensity (serrano and jalapeno are our favorites, but many people use habanero, scotch bonnet, or Santaka chile peppers as well)
  • 1-2 bell peppers
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or as desired)
  • 1/2 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat your broiler.
  2. Chop the tomatoes in half and remove the tough center that is white. Lay them flat side-down onto your baking sheet and broil for two to five minutes until they begin to brown or char. Flip and broil one or two more minutes.
  3. After your tomatoes have cooled enough, remove the skins.
  4. Place all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to your desired consistency and texture.
  5. Allow it to stand in the refrigerator for at least one hour so the flavors can properly blend.

Green tomato salsa is perfect for serving with chips, atop scrambled eggs, in tacos, burritos, or quesadillas, or used as simmering sauce for fish filets.

Homemade canned green tomato salsa

Fried Green Tomatoes

No green tomato recipe roundup would be complete without fried green tomatoes! Fried green tomatoes are a staple of southern comfort foods and are a must-have dish for those hot summer days.

See more on Southern fried green tomatoes here and also fried green tomatoes recipe on our sister website.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 green tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 quart oil for frying (peanut oil is best, but canola, vegetable, or olive oil will also work)
  • 2 tablespoons of buttermilk (just add a few drops of plain distilled vinegar to one and 3/4 tablespoons of milk)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Slice your green tomatoes into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices. Salt and let sit for a moment while you prep.
  2. Set out three shallow bowls that are large enough to lay a tomato slice inside. In the first bowl, place your flour. In the second bowl, mix up the egg and milk. In the third bowl, combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
  3. Add vegetable oil to the skillet, enough to fully cover a tomato slice, and then turn it on to medium heat.
  4. Dip your tomatoes in bowls, from one to three. They should be fully dredged in breadcrumbs when you place them in the skillet.
  5. Place the coated tomatoes in the skillet. Use a fork or tongs to protect your hands from the hot oil. Do not let the tomatoes touch, or they will stick together.
  6. Fry each tomato for about four minutes on each side until golden brown.
  7. When you remove the tomato slices from the pan, set them on a wire rack, cloth towels, or paper towels to dry. Add more salt to taste, if desired.
  8. Serve immediately.
Fried green tomato dishes

Green Tomato Relish to Can

Green tomato relish can enhance so many meals. It is simply amazing and oh-so-versatile. Use it to top burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, and salads. You can also use it to make meatloaf, pizzas, or meatballs.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 24 medium-large green tomatoes (about eight pounds)
  • 12 large white onions
  • 6 bell peppers, mixing red and green is preferred, though yellow and orange will also work.
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons mustard seed
  • 3 tablespoons celery seed
  • 1 Tablespoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix and pulse your tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers in a blender, food processor, or grinder. You’ll have to do this in small batches. The ratio is two tomatoes to every one onion and half of a bell pepper.
  2. Place the vegetables in a colander to drain, and add salt. If you chopped them small, place a cheesecloth on the bottom of the colander. Let sit for one hour to drain fully.
  3. Pour your freshly strained mixture into a large stock pot on high heat. Mix in the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, and celery seed.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat down to a simmer and then cook uncovered for thirty minutes. The goal here is to thicken up your relish by boiling off the liquids. Stand by and frequently stir to avoid scorching.
  5. Serve immediately, refrigerate, or can the relish in a hot water bath.

You can find a recipe card for this green tomato relish to can here.

Green tomato relish

Green Tomato Chutney

If you’re on the hunt for good green tomato recipes Indian, this is for you. Chutney is similar to relish, but with garlic and fruit added. Think of it as a delicious hybrid somewhere between relish and jam. Green tomato chutney can be used similarly to green tomato relish or can also be used on crab cakes, beside baked chicken, or atop pork chops. It’s really good as an appetizer too. Just spread cream cheese and a spoonful of chutney on a cracker.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 24 medium-large green tomatoes (close to eight pounds)
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 6 green chiles
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 3 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 3 teaspoons of chili powder
  • 6 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat a saute pan over medium heat, and add olive oil.
  2. In batches, mix all of the chilies, spices, and garlic into the pan. Cook for one or two minutes.
  3. Slowly stir in the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Simmer for twenty minutes, uncovered.