What to do with green tomatoes

It doesn’t matter how carefully we plan it. There always seems to be a heap of green tomatoes leftover at the end of the season. As the frosts creep in and the vines start to die, we collect bowlfuls of the unripe fruit and start thinking of creative ways to use them. Green tomatoes cooked in the right way are delicious. However, they are significantly less sweet and more acidic than red tomatoes, so if acidic foods don’t agree with you, then it’s best to steer clear.

Green tomatoes will ripen if you leave them in a warm, dry place. You could also put them in a cardboard box or paper bag with a ripe banana. Bananas release ethylene - a gas that promotes ripening in fruit. Make sure you discard any damaged or diseased tomatoes, and check them regularly, as an outbreak of rot or mould could spoil the whole batch. Tomatoes that are ripened this way over the colder months will never have the same depth of flavour as those heavenly tomatoes that you get at the height of summer, but they will be less sour and acidic than green tomatoes.

If you don’t have the patience for ripening green tomatoes, why not try cooking with them? Some of our favourite ways to cook with green tomatoes include: pickling, chutney, or even this green tomato cake!