Tomato question for the Yanks........?

[Englander]

Hi Guy's

This question is aimed particularly at my American cousins

In a civilised countries we eat our tomatoes "Red"

However I understand my American cousins eat "fried green tomatoes"

This is completely unheard of in the civilised world

However..............every days a school day and im open minded kind of guy here in Scotland we often run out of year to ripen all maner of fruits

A few years back I was playing with small determinate tomatoes varieties and tried a variety called Legend it grew well in pot's in my greenhouse but I planted on outdoors in a raised bed ......it grew huge ! The tomatoes ended up the size of apple's but........I ran out of year .......again ! All I had was loads of green tomatoes like I said in civilised countries we don't eat such things so they were wasted ! I don't like wasting things its not in my nature.

Since then I've discovered a Russian intermediate variety called Grushovka, an early pink ox heart absolutely delicious

I'm growing it again this year and i will have too many ........this got me thinking about those outdoor wasted green tomatoes.

Question for my American bretheran how does one use green tomatoes ! please educate me

Stephen

 

[Marturo]

Question for my American bretheran how does one use green tomatoes ! please educate me

Yes indeed we in the south, love fried green tomatoes.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

or you could stick 'em in a paper bag with a banana and wait for the ripening process to commence

 

[Downriver]

...how does one use green tomatoes !

Excellent answers from @Marturo and @Tinkerbelle. Although I haven't tried it, there's an old-school trick of wrapping them in newspaper and putting them under the bed (or a cool, dark place). They supposedly ripen slowly and will keep for weeks.

Now, just to confuse the situation, there is a group of tomatoes called GWR's - Green When Ripe. They stay green when they mature. They don't taste green, though. They taste like a tomato.

GWR grown in 2022 ( after doing a little research, I think this one might be Malichite Box)

 

[Marturo]

Now, just to confuse the situation, there is a group of tomatoes called GWR's - Green When Ripe. They stay green when they mature. They don't taste green, though. They taste like a tomato.

We grow them every now & them mostly for fun, at the farmers markets you can have a fresh Mater sandwich either red or green.
City people sure gawk when they see a green Tomato on 2 slices of bread that is really ripe & sweet.

https://www.rareseeds.com/tomato-aunt-ruby-s-german-green

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Now, just to confuse the situation, there is a group of tomatoes called GWR's - Green When Ripe. They stay green when they mature. They don't taste green, though. They taste like a tomato.

Green Zebra - GWR

 

[Bou]

Among the GWR, I grew Northern Green, Malachite Box and Green Bee. Although they tasted good, I found they all had a noticeable tartness. Don't get me wrong here, they were good tomatoes but nowhere near the top of my personal list. To answer your question, I use most tomatoes the same way, regardless of their color, with the exception of cherries which I mostly eat raw as a side dish or dried for winter cooking.

As @Marturo wrote, it’s always fun to watch your friends’ faces when you cut one up and add it to a salad!

 

[alkhall]

I have heard of placing unripe fruit (not just tomatoes) in a bag with ripe apples to speed up the ripening. Search for Ethylene gas and ripening.

When I have unripened tomatoes, given they are full size and not still growing, I will place them in a north facing window where they can receive indirect or reflected sunlight. They usually ripe in a week or so.

 

[HellfireFarm]

I remember reading a couple years ago that capsicum is the only fruit that will ripen from fully green, others like tomatoes won't. But if it's even started a little, it will ripen.

As for fried green tomatoes - being green and harder, they stand up better when fried so still have some texture.