Publication in the group: Vegetable dishes
Green tomatoes may not look as vibrant as red ones, but they contain nearly as many vital nutrients no matter how you cook them. For maximum benefit, choose fruits that are firm and smooth.
Vegetables provide the body with several important beneficial compounds, keeping it in good shape:
- One medium green tomato contains more than 10% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A in the form of the antioxidant beta-carotene. This substance may play an important role in the prevention of various forms of cancer and age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness.
- One medium green tomato also contains about 29 mg of vitamin C, or about 48% of the daily value. This compound plays an important role in immune function and may provide some protection against cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C also helps the body better absorb iron from plant foods such as beans and lentils, so tomatoes and legumes are a particularly beneficial combination.
- Tomatoes are 94% water, which is especially beneficial during hot months and on days when you sweat more due to exercise. Foods rich in water also help the digestive system by preventing or minimizing constipation and helping to maintain a healthy appetite and weight.
- Vitamin K helps ensure normal blood clotting and helps the body maintain strong and dense bones. One average green tomato contains about 12.5 mcg of this compound, with a daily value of 90 mcg.
Green tomatoes, with their bright acidity and firm texture, are especially good when salted or pickled. And just like ripe tomatoes, they go well with chili peppers and garlic, as well as other vegetables. Recipes for pickling them often include numerous spices that add aroma and taste to the appetizer.
Classic salted tomatoes
You can make excellent pickles from green tomatoes, which have a pleasant sour and slightly salty taste. If pickling is done through natural fermentation, the product becomes a probiotic, beneficial for digestion.
What ingredients will you need?
To prepare classic salted green tomatoes, you will need:
- 4 tbsp. water;
- 2 tbsp. l. fine sea salt;
- 700-800 g green tomatoes, cut into quarters;
- 4 medium hot peppers, thinly sliced;
- 6 medium cloves of garlic.
Step-by-step cooking process
Here's how to make a classic fermented snack from green tomatoes:
- It is necessary to heat 2 tbsp. water in a small saucepan, then mix with salt and stir until it dissolves.
- Then you need to turn off the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.
- Next, you need to place the tomatoes in a jar, and then add hot peppers and garlic. After this, pour the cooled brine over them, adding additional water to completely cover them (if necessary) and seal the jar.
- Next, you need to let the tomatoes ferment for at least 14 days and up to 6 weeks. You need to taste the tomatoes periodically, and when they become sufficiently sour and salty, you need to transfer them to the refrigerator, where they will be stored for at least 6 months.
- Pickles should be stored in brine - this helps avoid spoilage. Sometimes a light white film may appear on the surface of the jar's contents. This is a harmless fungus and can be removed with a spoon, then washed and eaten.
What can I add?
For better and faster fermentation, you can use a special starter for vegetables, and to improve the taste and aroma, you can use any additional spices. Thus, dill and horseradish are an excellent addition to almost any pickle, and go just as well with green tomatoes as with regular cucumbers.
Mustard, celery and dill seeds are classic pickling spices that many cooks add to green tomatoes, while turmeric and black pepper can add a gorgeous yellow-green color as well as great flavor.
How to Serve Fermented Green Tomatoes
Like most pickles, fermented green tomatoes work well as a snack. The combination of saltiness and sourness acts as an aperitif, starting the digestion process, so it is recommended to serve them before the main course.
In addition to serving fermented green tomatoes as a snack, you can also use them as a side dish or condiment by cutting them into small cubes or slices.
Quick pickled green tomatoes
You can make pickles from green tomatoes quickly, so you can try them the next day. One recipe suggests marinating them with vinegar, garlic, dill and red pepper.
What ingredients will you need?
To prepare two liter jars of pickled tomatoes you will need:
- 1 kg of green tomatoes;
- 0.3 cloves of garlic;
- 2 sprigs of dill;
- 0.5 tbsp. white vinegar (5-6%);
- 0.5 tbsp. water;
- 0.5 tbsp. l. kosher salt;
- 0.5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 1 tsp. black pepper;
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper, optional.
Step-by-step cooking process
The first step in preparing the appetizer is preparing the tomatoes. Of course, they need to be washed well before placing in the marinade. When using cherry tomatoes, pierce each fruit with a toothpick or knife. The skin of green tomatoes is thick, so breaking it open allows the marinade to penetrate into the flesh for better flavor.
Further step-by-step instructions for the recipe look like this:
- You should chop the garlic very thinly and place it, along with several sprigs of dill, in liter jars, and put the prepared tomatoes in them.
- Next, you need to mix vinegar, water, salt, sugar, pepper and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan, boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Then the prepared marinade must be poured into filled jars, completely covering the green tomatoes.
- Cover the containers with lids and leave until they cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator.
- These tomatoes can be eaten the next day.
What can be added or replaced
Using regular table salt in a recipe may cause the salted tomatoes to become cloudy or discolored. Therefore, it is recommended to buy pickling or kosher salt. The tomatoes used may not be completely green, but partially ripe (with orange sides). It is even possible to marinate red and green fruits in combination in one container. This snack will be just as tasty, but less crunchy.
How to serve this appetizer
Quick pickled green tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. With this method of preparation, sterilization is not performed. These tomatoes can be eaten on their own as a snack, added to a salad, or sliced and used on a sandwich. They also make a good side dish for dishes like stir-fried beef or pulled pork.
Crispy salad with unripe tomatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers without sterilization
Looking to get rid of your late-season vegetable stash? This recipe will help turn the remains of an unclaimed harvest into an appetizing dish that can become the calling card of any housewife.
It includes:
- unripe tomatoes – 5 kg;
- bell pepper – 0.5 kg;
- carrots – 0.5 kg;
- onion – 0.5 kg;
- peeled garlic – 1 tbsp;
- parsley;
- salt – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
- sugar – 1 tbsp;
- sunflower oil – 1 tbsp.;
- vinegar 9% - 100 g.
Preparation:
- Cut the tomatoes into slices about 1 centimeter thick.
- Cut the carrots into rings, the onion into half rings, and the pepper into large cubes.
- Grind the garlic and herbs in a meat grinder.
- Combine the ingredients.
- Add salt, granulated sugar, vegetable fat. Mix well.
- Place on fire. After boiling and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Five minutes before the end of cooking, add table vinegar. Stir gently.
- Place the hot salad into sterilized jars. Roll it up.
Green tomato jam
You can make not only pickles from green tomatoes, but also interesting jam. This preparation has an unusual taste and aroma.
What ingredients will you need?
For this unusual tomato preparation you need:
- 1 kg of green tomatoes;
- half a lemon;
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar;
- 2 tbsp. l. natural honey;
- 1 tbsp. water.
Step-by-step cooking process
Green tomato jam is prepared as follows:
- It is necessary to wash and dry green tomatoes, remove the cores from them and cut the fruits into slices 1 cm thick.
- Next, you need to place them in a large saucepan with a thick bottom.
- Then you should separate the lemon zest from the fruit and grind it as much as possible.
- Lemon slices need to be cut into slices.
- Then you need to add lemon slices, chopped zest, sugar, honey and water to the tomatoes, bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn down the heat and cook the mixture for about 1.5 hours, stirring every few minutes.
- As soon as the jam thickens, transfer it to sterilized jars and allow to cool completely.
- After cooling, you need to close the containers with lids and place them in the refrigerator.
Winter sauce from green tomatoes
This green tomato sauce, known as picalli, is a Mexican cuisine. It goes well with a variety of sausages, fried pork, boiled pork, hot dogs and sandwiches. The preparation is a combination of chopped green tomatoes, cabbage, onions and peppers.
Vegetables are marinated in a mixture of vinegar, brown sugar and seasonings.
What ingredients will you need?
To make this Mexican sauce from unripe green tomatoes, you will need:
- 5 tbsp. green tomatoes, coarsely chopped;
- 5 tbsp. cabbage, coarsely shredded;
- 1.5 tbsp. yellow onion, finely chopped;
- 2 tbsp. sweet pepper, coarsely chopped (at least 1 of them should be red for color);
- 0.3 tbsp. pickling salt;
- 2.5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. light brown sugar, pressed;
- 1 tbsp. l. yellow mustard;
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped;
- 1 tsp. celery seeds;
- optional: 0.5 tsp. red hot pepper (or to taste).
Step-by-step cooking process
Mexican tomato green sauce is prepared according to the following instructions:
- Place the chopped vegetables in a large enamel bowl or pan, add salt and stir, cover with a lid and let stand for 4 hours or place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Before actually preparing the sauce, you need to prepare clean jars and lids by placing them in a pan of water and heating to a boil. Then you need to turn the heat down to minimum so that the containers remain hot.
- Next, drain the liquid from the vegetables and rinse them thoroughly.
- In a large non-reactive saucepan, bring the vinegar, brown sugar, seeds and spices to a boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- After this, you need to put the dried vegetables there, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
- Next, using a slotted spoon, place the vegetables in the prepared jars and pour in the hot marinade, leaving about 2 cm of free space at the top.
- Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the edges of the jars, then place the lids on them and screw them securely.
- Filled and closed containers must be immediately placed in a pan with hot water (its level should be 2-3 cm higher than the jars), close with a lid and boil for 10-20 minutes.
- After this, the workpieces should be moved to the table on a thick towel so that they can cool completely.
- Then you need to check the jars for leaks and transfer them to a dark place for storage.
Recipe for salad of unripe tomatoes with cabbage, hot pepper, garlic
This original salad does not require heat treatment. Add cabbage to unripe tomatoes and get an unexpected result!
You need:
- green tomatoes - 2 kg;
- cabbage - 1 kg;
- hot pepper - 3-4 pcs.;
- dill greens – 1 bunch;
- head of garlic;
- salt - 3 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
- Thinly slice the unripe tomatoes.
- Add chopped cabbage, chopped hot pepper, dill and garlic.
- Season with salt. Mix thoroughly.
- Place in a room with low temperature for a day. During this time, stir the vegetable mixture several times.
- Try the salinity level of the salad.
- Place the chopped vegetables with any juices that have come out into prepared jars, compacting them periodically.
- Cover with nylon lids scalded with boiling water.
Keep refrigerated.
Tomato and pepper salad for the winter
You can prepare a winter salad from green tomatoes either as a separate dish or as part of a pasta sauce.
What ingredients will you need?
For tomato-pepper salad for the winter you need the following:
- 8 tbsp. green tomatoes, finely chopped;
- 2 tbsp. onion, finely chopped;
- 4 finely chopped sweet peppers (at least one must be red);
- 0.3 tbsp. pickling salt;
- 2 tbsp. l. any mixed spices;
- 0.5 tsp. celery seeds;
- 1 clove of garlic, cut into pieces;
- 2.25 tbsp. white vinegar (5-6%, no more);
- 1.6 tbsp. brown sugar, pressed
Step-by-step cooking process
To make this delicious salad for the winter, you need to follow these steps:
- Mix the chopped vegetables and salt in a large stainless steel saucepan, cover and let stand in a cool place for 10-12 hours or overnight.
- After this, you should transfer the vegetables into a colander located over the sink and let them drain, then rinse with cool water and squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands.
- The selected spices and celery seeds must be placed in a gauze bag and tied tightly.
- In a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan, mix vinegar, a bag of spices, chopped garlic and vinegar, heat everything over high heat, boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Next, you need to put the vegetables there and bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, for 1 hour.
- While the salad is preparing, you need to prepare the work area, jars and lids.
- Then fill the hot prepared jars with the vegetable mixture and marinade and stir everything with a plastic spatula to remove all air bubbles.
- The top part of the container must be wiped, and then the lids must be screwed on.
The article gives many examples of what can be prepared from green tomatoes. - Closed jars must be sterilized in a closed saucepan with boiling water for 10-25 minutes, then left for another 5 minutes. with the stove off, and then transfer to a flat surface to cool.
Stuffed with garlic, hot pepper, horseradish, herbs
Do you consider yourself a thrill-seeker? Then this dish will impress you. Take any unripe green or brown tomatoes to prepare the snack.
In addition to them, stock up on:
- hot paprika;
- garlic cloves;
- parsley sprigs;
- dill umbrellas;
- horseradish leaves;
- black peppercorns.
To prepare one liter of marinade you will need:
- salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
- granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
- acetic acid 70% - 1 tsp.
A lighter version of the spicy snack is tomatoes stuffed with garlic cloves. For brutalists and “hot” lovers, use hot pepper as a filling.
Cooking process:
- Place a sprig of parsley, an umbrella of dill, a horseradish leaf and a handful of peppercorns in a prepared three-liter jar.
- Cut each tomato. Place a hot pepper ring inside. Want a more gentle snack option? Replace the hot pepper with two slices of garlic.
- Fill the jar with the stuffed tomatoes, compacting each layer. Fill with boiling water to the top. Cover with boiled iron lids. Leave for 10-15 minutes to warm up.
- Pour the water from the jar into another container. Use it as a base for brine, adding granulated sugar and salt.
- Pour vinegar into the vessel with the tomatoes.
- Cover the stuffed tomatoes with the brine brought to a boil.
- Seal with iron lids. Turn upside down to cool gradually.
Sweet and spicy green tomatoes for the winter
This green tomato preparation is both sweet and spicy. It can be added as a bright ingredient to many dishes to significantly enhance the taste.
What ingredients will you need?
For this preparation for the winter you will need the following:
- 2.5 kg of green tomatoes;
- 2 medium onions;
- 0.3 tbsp. pickling salt (or kosher);
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar;
- 1.75 tbsp. Sahara;
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric;
- 1 incomplete tsp. celery seeds;
- 1 tbsp. l. mustard seeds;
- 1 red hot pepper.
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare this preparation over the winter, you need to do the following:
- You need to cut off the hearts of the tomatoes and discard them, cut the vegetables into pieces 5-7 mm thick and place in a large non-reactive pan or bowl.
- Next, peel the onion, cut it in half and cut into slices 5 mm thick, put in a pan with the tomatoes.
- Vegetables should be sprinkled with salt and mixed gently, then sprinkled with several glasses of ice cubes, cover with a lid and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
- Before preparing the tomatoes, prepare the jars and lids by boiling them in a large container.
- Vegetables that have released their juice should be placed in a colander and lightly rinsed.
- In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery and mustard seeds, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes and onions.
- Next, heat the vegetables in the marinade, stirring gently until the mixture boils.
- Using a slotted spoon or slotted spoon, fill the jars with vegetables, adding several thin raw strips of hot red pepper to each of them.
- Next, the containers should be filled with the remaining liquid, leaving 7 mm of free space at the top, wipe the upper edges of the cans with a clean damp cloth, and screw on the lids.
- After this, you need to place the filled jars in a large saucepan with water, the level of which covers them by 2-3 cm, cover with a lid and sterilize for 10-25 minutes, then move to cool.
Green tomatoes for the winter - a simple recipe
Tired of waiting for green tomatoes to ripen? Use this finger-licking garlic and pepper recipe that brings together brown vegetables in harmony. Sterilize clean quart jars.
For each of them you will need:
- granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt – 1 tbsp. l. without top;
- vinegar 9% - 2 tbsp. l.
In addition, the recipe uses:
- unripe tomatoes;
- carrot;
- onion;
- garlic cloves;
- hot and allspice peppers;
- dried laurel leaves.
Cooking process:
- Place a couple of onion rings and 5-6 carrot slices on the bottom of the jar.
- Add spices: hot and allspice, bay leaf.
- Cut the tomatoes. Place two cloves of garlic inside each of them.
- Place the stuffed tomatoes in a glass container, compacting the layers.
- Place several slices of garlic and carrots between them. Cover the filled jar with a slice of onion.
- Pour boiling water over it. Close with an iron lid. Leave for 10 minutes to heat evenly.
- Pour the boiling water into a separate bowl. Pour sugar and salt into it.
- Stir the brine until the solids are completely dissolved.
- Place on the stove and boil.
- Pour vinegar into each jar, then boiling brine.
- Roll up under iron lids. Turn upside down and wrap to cool gradually.
Green tomato ketchup
You can use green tomatoes at the end of the season to make homemade ketchup. The result is a sweet and sour sauce, great for sandwiches, meats or fries.
What ingredients will you need?
For green homemade ketchup you need:
- 3 kg of green tomatoes;
- 1.5 kg of onion;
- 1.5 tsp. black pepper;
- 1 tbsp. l. dry mustard;
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce;
- 2 tsp. any mixed spices of your choice;
- 2 tbsp. white vinegar (5-6%);
- 1 tbsp. honey;
- Kosher salt.
Step-by-step cooking process
To prepare tomato green ketchup you will need to follow these steps:
- Chop the green tomatoes and onions, place them in a large saucepan and mix with pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Next, you need to put the mixed pickling spices in a small gauze bag and add to the vegetables.
- Then pour vinegar over everything and cook for about 4 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- After dividing the mixture into 3 or more portions, grind it in a blender or food processor, then press through a sieve to remove seeds and solids.
- Next, you need to return the ketchup to the pan and bring to a boil, add honey and salt, then turn it down, heat to low and continue cooking without a lid until thickened.
- In the meantime, you should prepare 0.5 liter jars with lids.
- The finished ketchup should be placed in hot jars, wipe the tops and immediately screw on the lids, after which the containers should be sterilized in hot water for 10-15 minutes.
- Next, you need to carefully remove the jars and cool completely, being careful not to tilt or shake them, and check for leaks. If the middle of the lid is uneven and bulging, the container is not sealed and can only be stored in the refrigerator.
- Leave freshly sealed jars of homemade green ketchup at room temperature for 24 hours before storing in a cool, dry place.
Liquids used to prepare marinades may react chemically with metal in copper, brass, galvanized or iron cookware.
It is recommended to use stainless steel, aluminum, glass or enamel-lined containers. Brief soaking can be done in pots or bowls made of porcelain stoneware, glass, stainless steel or non-chipping enamel.
Jars must be sterilized before use. This is done by boiling for 10 minutes. Containers should be kept in hot water until used to prevent them from cracking when filled with hot food. The sterilization time for filled jars depends on their capacity.
Container volume | Time needed |
0.5 l or less | 10-15 min. |
1 l | 15-20 min. |
1.5-2 l | 25-30 min. |
To keep the workpiece longer, the following is recommended:
- Green tomatoes should only be collected from healthy branches of bushes.
- It is necessary to use only fruits without signs of disease, insect exposure or mechanical damage.
- It is necessary to remove the remaining stem completely.
- It is necessary to wash off the dirt and dry the fruit before use. To prepare canned green tomatoes for the winter, you can first use a soda solution (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) to wash them to kill bacteria that can cause spoilage of the product.