If You Like Fried Pickles, You Might Like Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes

A few days ago, I shared that if you grow tomatoes, you should go rescue those last green tomatoes and bring them in before the freeze. There are still so many things you can do with those green tomatoes to prevent food (and the fruits - pun intended! - of your labor) from going to waste.

First, keep those green tomatoes in a paper bag. If you have an apple, toss it in there too. The ethylene from the apple will off-gas and help the tomatoes ripen faster. Even without an apple, these are my tomatoes after about 4 days in the bag. You can see that some of tomatoes have ripened! And some more will over the next couple weeks. Be sure to check the bag every few days to retrieve ripe tomatoes and discard any that inevitably spoil.

Second, put those green tomatoes to use! There are several recipes out there for green tomatoes, both full size and cherry. This week, I tried a new recipe for Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes, using up about 3 cups of my surplus. Start by measuring, rinsing, and drying your fruit.

Coat them first in flour, then in egg white, then in a breadcrumb/cornmeal mix.

Deep fry your coated tomatoes at 375 degrees for about 2 minutes until golden.

 

LET THESE BABIES COOL for a few minutes as the juices inside will be quite hot, and then dip in your favorite sauce. I made this awesome remoulade which felt appropriate for southern-inspired food, but ranch would also be good.

Now, these tomatoes were much more tart than their full size counterparts. If you like fried pickles or even salt and vinegar potato chips, than these are for you. If you are expecting the sweetness of a ripe cherry tomato, you are in for a bit of a sour shock!

Having experienced the flavors here, I'm now thinking that green tomatoes would also make for great pickles or salsa. Here's to getting the most out of your garden, and not letting any of that goodness go to waste.