Green Tomatoes

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ChrisGreaves
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Green Tomatoes

Post by ChrisGreaves »

It’s that time of year when we harvest green tomatoes from the balconies on the grounds that we have nothing to lose – if we leave them out there they’ll freeze anyway.
Which got me thinking.

Tomatoes change from green to red to signal that their seeds are ready for dispersal by animals that eat tomatoes and spread the indigestible seeds wide and far.
That suggests that tomatoes change from green to red when they have pumped as much plant-nutrition into the seeds as they possibly can. But we animals don’t benefit from the food in the seeds.
Which suggests that it makes sense for those of us animals who can control fire to harvest tomatoes well before they turn red.

It would make sense to harvest green tomatoes because at that stage they are in their prime stage of manufacturing nutrition – destined for the seeds, but we can head them off, in a manner of speaking, before the pass.
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HansV
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by HansV »

Unripe tomatoes are rather hard and tasteless...
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by ChrisGreaves »

HansV wrote:Unripe tomatoes are rather hard and tasteless...
Mebbe so, but they can be fried, I know, because I have a copy of the movie.
Taste can be tolerated or modified.
But the nutritional value might be higher, right?
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HansV
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by HansV »

Dunno - sugar is formed in the later stages of ripening.
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DaveA
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by DaveA »

Yes, they are very good when cooked right.
I dip them in an egg wash, then fine dried bread crumbs, then fry until golden, serve hot.
They do not have much of an flavor when eaten cold.
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BobH
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by BobH »

That the sugars are formed when ripe might be 'a good thing.'

Many people suffer from blood glucose that is too high. Harvesting tomatoes green and frying or otherwise preparing them might avoid increasing blood glucose.

Has our Chris stumbled onto found a good idea?
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Rudi
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by Rudi »

    
ChrisGreaves wrote:It’s that time of year when we harvest green tomatoes from the balconies...
:whisper: Xmas tree ornaments don't change color Chris; and they probably don't fry very well either.
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Rudi

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:stumbled onto
:clapping:

Nice try Bob, but once again Noooooooo!
Our Chris has a friend who had too many green tomatoes on the balcony.
Probably because the balcony doesn't get enough strong sunshine.

(I shall persuade her to try growing them there again, next year, heh heh :evilgrin: )

Cheers
Chris
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Rudi wrote: Xmas tree ornaments don't change color Chris; and they probably don't fry very well either.
Thanks Rudi, but why would I invest in Christmas decorations when I can go sit in the mall and see as many as I want AND listen to Frosty The Snowman for as long as I like.
(later)
OK.
How much do Christmas decorations cost? :innocent:
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Rudi
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by Rudi »

ChrisGreaves wrote:How much do Christmas decorations cost?
As much as you're willing to dock up for them!
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Rudi

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Rudi wrote:As much as you're willing to dock up for them!
Dock?
It's more a matter of not wondering whether I want to go back to Frosty The Snowman in order to throw money away on decorations.

I might just dunk some of my "P" for Pretzels in some left-over food-colouring and loop some licorice-strings through them.
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Chris
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GeoffW
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Re: Green Tomatoes

Post by GeoffW »

Check out Green tomato relish, pickles or chutney. They can be very good.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/green-t ... e65e968e08" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not to be confused with Mexican green tomatoes which are used for green salsa-, which are actually a different fruit, tomatillo.