GREEN TOMATOES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 668, 24 April 1952, Page 22

GREEN TOMATOES

HERE are always lots of green tomatoes, some very small indeed, which will not ripen at the end of the season. I’ve had letters from Links in our Daisy Chain asking for recipes for using them; and also other letters offering suggestions. So now let me put these Links in touch with one another. One woman finds the little tomatoes delightful as savoury morsels at a cocktail party, with a little pick through them, like pickled onions. She said the tomatoes should be about the same size as the onions. Green Tomato Pickle Four quarts (about 5 lb.) little green tomatoes, 112 quarts best matured vinegar, 4 cups brown sugar (or if only white sugar available add a little treacle or golden syrup to give flavour), 1 heaped tablespoon cloves and allspice mixed, and cayenne pepper to taste. Prick tomatoes with fork, sprinkle with salt, and leave 12 hours. Drain. Then boil with vinegar and other ingredients till tender, but slowly, so that they remain whole. Cool. Bottle and _ seal. Larger-sized green tomatoes may be served with meat. May take 3-4 hours slow simmering. Choose tomatoes of even size. Green Tomato Marmalade Six pounds green tomatoes, 3 medium lemons, 144 cups water, 5 lb. sugar and 2 dessertspoons ground ginger. The night before making jam, slice tomatoes and cover with 2 lb. of the sugar. Also slice lemons thinly, and cook in the water until tender. Next day cook tomatoes in the liquid which has formed, together with the cooked lemons, and the ginger tied in a muslin bag. When thoroughly tender, add remaining 3 Ib. sugar. Stir till dissolved, then boil fast until it will set (about % hour). Green Tomato Relish Six pounds green tomatoes, 3. lb. apples, 2 quarts vinegar, 3 tablespoons curry powder, or to taste, 3 lb. onions, 3 lb. sugar, 2 teaspoons white pepper, 4 heaped teaspoons flour, 2 heaped teaspoons dry mustard, 2 dessertspoons salt. Slice tomatoes, apples and onions. Sprinkle with salt and let stand overnight, then boil for 2 hour with the vinegar. When soft, mix other ingredients with a little vinegar, pour in, and boil till it thickens. Green Tomato Mincemeat Good in mince pies. It has to be sealed thoroughly airtight. The recipe makes about 3 quart jars full. Combine all the following ingredients and cook slowly until tender and slightly thickened, stirring frequently, then fill hot jars and seal: about 26 medium-sized finely chopped green tomatoes, 9-10 medium-sized chopped and peeled tart apples, 1 Ib. raisins, 4 tablespoons minced candied peel, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons salt, 1% teaspoon each of powdered allspice and cloves, 2% cups each brown and white sugar (or all brown), % cup vinegar and %4 cup lemon-juice (or the whole cup vinegar), 2 cups water. With Left-over Meat Chop an onion or two and fry in 3-4 tablespoons dripping. Add about 1 dessertspoon curry powder, a little salt, a

dash of sugar, and stir well. Add about 4 cups sliced green tomatoes, cover, and cook gently until tender. Then stir in

8 Cups chopped, cooked meat, and heat thoroughly. If mixture too thick, thin it slightly with meat-broth, gravy or water. Serve with boiled rice or macaroni. Green Tomato Piccalilli Six pounds green tomatoes, cut inio slices, 2 quarts vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons mustard, 5 large onions, cut into slices, 1 lb. treacle or "golden syrup, 2 tablespoons curry powder. Boil all ingredients until soft, thicken with four tablespoons flour or cornflour mixed with a little cold vinegar. Boil mixture again for 5 minutes and put into pickle jars. With Ginger and Apples Six pounds green tomatoes, 2 to. apples, 4% Ib, preserved ginger, 8 Ib. sugar, and 1 cup water..Cut up fruit and ginger, put in a pan with the water and boil, stirring frequently, for about Y% hour. Add the sugar, stir till it is dissolved, then boil " will set (about % hour). Green Tomato Chutney. Four pounds sliced green tomatoes, 144 Ib. finely sliced onions, 1 lb. brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 3 oz. salt, 1 lb. cored and sliced apples, 44 Ib, raisins, sultanas, or dates, 1 pint of vinegar, 1 teaspoon pickling spices. Boil ingredients gently without vinegar and sugar about 112 hours. Stir occasionally. Dissolve sugar in vinegar and add _ it, boiling all 15 minutes. Bottle and seal.