Hello! I thought that since we got that surprise snow that things would be pretty dead out in the garden. But there's still lots of these:
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Green"][/caption]
I think I've already documented here that I am not the biggest fan of green tomatoes. I would really, really like to like them but they are just too hard and sour. But I may try dredging a few in cornmeal and frying them to see how it goes. I think the secret to good fried green tomatoes is a good remoulade...
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Ignore that tomato in the upper left-hand corner..."][/caption]
Of course, there are lots of other things to do with green tomatoes. Like pickling! I love pretty much all pickles but I don't quite trust myself on the canning front yet. That's moving a little too far into domesticity for me. Maybe next year.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Little Beauty Queen"][/caption]
What I'll likely do with most of these is try to ripen them inside. I've experimented with this a little and here's the method that seems to work best for me:
When you pick the tomatoes, be sure to leave some of the stem or vine attached. I read somewhere to do this (I'm not sure on the reasoning) but it seems to help.
If you only have a few tomatoes you can just put them all in a paper bag and set it in a darkish place. You don't want to seal it completely but you do want to fold the bag closed or something to keep all those gases that ripen the tomato in. Just check on your tomatoes every day or so to make sure they don't rot.
If you have lots of tomatoes you can wrap each one loosely in newspaper and set them all in a box or something and put that in a dark place.
Anyone have any luck with ripening tomatoes inside? Any tips? I'll let you know how my ripening experiment turns out next week!
Sarah DeGiorgis has lived in Philly for five years and is finally starting to feel like a true Philadelphian, though she still detests cheesesteaks. She enjoys reading, watching bad tv, eating and cooking good food and digging in the dirt. Catch up with her continuing efforts to grow food in South Philly by clicking here.
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Sarah's Garden Weeks 27 and 28: Green Tomatoes
09/01/2022 – SPFC Back to School Recipe Series by Chef Monica Glass
08/01/2022 – Board Statement on Supreme Court Ruling
06/07/2013 – Sarah's Garden: Rain
06/05/2013 – Let's party our way to 600 members!
06/04/2013 – Pallet Gardening Workshop: June 1, 2013
05/31/2013 – Sarah's Garden: Growth
05/31/2013 – Show off your garden on the South Philly Garden Tour!
05/30/2013 – Take a look "behind the scenes" at the Co-op
05/29/2013 – Happy Hour at Underdogs -- Plus, a Contest
05/29/2013 – The results are in: Board Elections