THOSE GREEN TOMATOES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 148, 24 April 1942, Page 22

THOSE GREEN TOMATOES

tomatoes is confronted at the close of the season with the problem of what to do with the quantities of green ones which won’t ripen. Very often, too, jt seems that the plants are bearing more prolifically then than at the proper time, so that the waste is considerable. Half-ripe tomatoes will generally finish off nicely on a shelf in the greenhouse or a sunny window, but there are still plenty of really green ones which cannot be ripened that way. However, the green tomato can be used up very nicely indeed in pickles and jams, making: a fine addition to the ordinary varieties with which the Oe who grows

thrifty housewife Has been filling her pantry shelves. Green Tomato Chutney (with Cucumber) This is an old English recipe’ from Pembrokeshire. Three pounds green tomatoes, 4 large apples, 2 small cucumbers, 3 large onions, 6 oz. sultanas, 3 Ib. Demerara (or good brown) sugar, 2 tablespoons . mustard, 11% teaspoons ground ginger, 1% level teaspoon cayenne pepper, 142 tablespoots salt, a little more than a pint of vinegar. Peel the onions, apples, and cucumibers, and slice them up; cut up the tomatoes, put all the ingredients together in a large pan. Bring gradually to the boil, and simmer gently for two to three hours, until quite soft, stirring often. Put into jars and seal down. Green Tomato Pickle (with Beans) Two pounds green tomatoes, 1 Ib, French (or any green), beans, 3 Ibs. onions, 44 Ib. mustard, 1 Ib. brown sugar, 42 oz. chillies, 1. oz. allspice, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 2 quarts vinegar. Slice all the vegetables, sprinkle with 4 Ib. salt, and leave all night. Next morning, drain them well, and add them to the vinegar already brought to the boil with the -spices tied in a muslin bag. Boil till all the vegetables are soft. Mix the mustard and curry powder with a little cold vinegar, which has been kept back for this purpose from ‘the 2 quarts,:adding also 2 tablespoons of flour if you like a thickened pickle, and stir this into the mixture about 15 ‘minutes before taking up, Remove the bag of spices. If you cannot get the mustard, add a little more curry powder, and a dessertspoon of ‘turmeric for colouring. Green Tomato Pickle (Simple) This is an easy one, and was highly recommended by the Daisy Chain Link who sent it in. Take 4 Ibs. green tomatoes and 112 lbs. onions, cut them up, sprinkle with a little salt, and let stand 24 hours; then drain thoroughly. Boil up 1% pints vinegar for 15 minutes with a tablespoon each of cloves and allspice, and an ounce of whole ginger, tied in a muslin bag.. Then remove the bag of spices, and ‘put in the tomatoes and onions, together with one pound of sugar. Boil for one hour. Stir up well before bottling while hot. Green Tomato Marmalade Six pounds of green tomatoes, 3 lemons, 212 cups water, 5 Ibs. best sugar, and about 4 Ib. preserved gin- ger. Boil the sliced lemons in sufficient water to cover well (take this water from the measured 214 cups). Boil until soft. Then cook the cut tomatoes in the remainder of the water until tender, add the cooked lemons, and boil 10 minutes. Add the cut-up ginger and sugar, and boil till it sets when tested. Green Tomato. Jam Three pounds tomatoes, 3 lemons and 3 lbs. sugar. Slice the tomatoes and mince the lemons coarsely, being care-

ful to catch all the juice. Put into 8 buttered pan with just sufficient water to prevent it- sticking, and boil for 10 minutes, Stir in the warmed sugar, stirting till dissolved, and then boil until the jam will set when tested. Green Tomato Jam with Lemon Juice Three pounds of tomatoes, 4 Ibs. of sugar, the juice of 6 lemons and 1% Ib. preserved ginger, shredded finely. Slice the tomatoes, add the lemon juice and ginger, and a very little water to prevent sticking, and boil about half an hour till very soft. Add sugar, and boil till it will set when tested, about three-quarters of an hour, Green Tomato Relish Cut into small pieces 3 Ibs. green tomatoes, and put into pan with 1 cup malt vinegar, and 21 lbs. brown sugar. Stir in 4% Ib. chopped onion, and a clove of garlic if liked, or else another Y4 lb. of onions. Stir in also 2 teaspoons of salt, a sprinkling of pepper, and a teaspoon of made mustard. Simmer slowly for three hours, then rub through a colander. Bring to the boil again for a few minutes. Bottle when cool. Green Tomato Jam with Apples Three pounds green tomatoes, 1 Ib. apples, 1% Ib, preserved ginger, 4 Ibs. sugar and a small cup of water, Cut up the tomatoes, apples and ginger, and put into pan with the water. Bring slowly to the boil, and boil for half an hour. Then add the warmed sugar, stir well until dissolved, bringing back slowly to the boil. Then boil fast until it will set when tested. If you cannot get preserved ginger, you must use ginger flavouring. Add this when the jam has been removed from the fire, stir it in a little at a time, and tasting till required flavour is attained. Green Tomato Pickle (No Sugar) Slice 6 lbs. green tomatoes into an enamelled dish, sprinkling each layer with salt. Leave for 12 hours, then strain well. Into a preserving pan put,2 quarts vinegar, 2 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1 teaspoon red pepper, also 1 Ib. of golden syrup or treacle. When this comes’ to the boil; put in the drained tomatoes and 3 Ibs. of thinly sliced onions. Boil gently for 15 minutes only, and put into jars. Cork down when cold,