Raiding the green tomatoes -- what effect?

[HamdenRice]

I recently discovered that green tomatoes are really delicious, cooked in a variety of ways.

Does anyone have any idea what effect this has on eventual yield? Is it like dead heading that actually increases yield? Or am I eating my eventual red tomatoes.

[wildeyed]

1. Other than the traditional fried green tomato, how are you cooking them?

I ask because I have a bunch of greenies, too. Two of my tomato plants got way out of bounds/grew off there supports. As I was tiding them up, a couple of the sucker vines that had greenies broke off. I saved the green tomatoes, but I have no idea what to do with them.

From first hand experience, I am not sure what picking the tomatoes early will have on overall production, but I would guess that it would encourage the plant to make more new tomatoes, similar to dead heading a rose bush. My understanding, once the tomato is ripe, it sends a signal to the plant to slowdown production. The plant's whole purpose in life is to make seeds for the next generation. Once the plant feels it has achieved that goal, it slows down or stops making new tomatoes. But if some of the baby tomatoes are harvested, the plant should rev up production to replace the missing seeds that produce the next generation.

Now if you eat all tomatoes green, clearly you will never have any ripe. But snagging a few greenies here and there shouldn't hurt. Besides, if your garden is anything like mine this time of year, there is not shortage of tomatoes, green or ripe!

[hippywife]

2. My favoriter way to eat green tomatoes:

http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/Desserts/greentomatopie.html

This is an absolutely fabulous dessert! I just love it! It tastes very similar to an apple pie. :9

[LiberalEsto]

3. Yum.

Gotta try that!

[wildeyed]

4. Book marked for fall when I should have many green tomatoes.

:)

[asdjrocky]

5. That sounds great.

I'll be giving it a try.

[hippywife]

6. People sometimes ask me

why if it tastes like an apple pie, don't you just make an apple pie. This is a wonderful and tasty substitute if you're trying to eat more locally and you don't have access to locally grown apples. Plus I think tomatoes offer different nutrients, probably fewer than they would if they were ripe, but still.

I had one someone brought to a pot luck and I've been enamored ever since. Seems like I've also had tomato jelly many years ago and want to check into that, as well. We just need to get some tomatoes! LOL

[HamdenRice]

7. Thanks, and here's how I'm hooked on them

I often make an all in one dish of roasted chicken over vegetables. I decided to add halved green tomatoes. They carmelized beautifully and were delicious and added a nice tartness to the other veggies -- all of course bathed in chicken drippings!

[japple]

8. Piccallily (sp?) or Green Tomato Relish

A favorite in the Southeast, esp. in the Low Country.

For the vegetables:
5 pounds green tomatoes, cored and ground or finely minced
1 pound (2 green and 1 red) bell peppers, ground or finely minced
1 pound (about 3 average) onions, ground or finely minced
1 or 2 fresh hot peppers, such as jalapeño (optional)
1/2 cup pure salt

For the pickling solution:
4-1/2 cups white vinegar
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) mustard seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds



Grind and mix all the vegetables together and sprinkle with the salt. Allow to sit for 3 or 4 hours, then drain well in a colander, squeezing all the excess moisture out of the mixture.

Simmer the pickling ingredients for 15 minutes, add the vegetable mixture, bring to a boil, and add to sterilized jars. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.