Green Tomatoes
 

Note: I've posted a similar post to this on rec.food.cooking so if you
post on both please excuse the redundancy. TIA

I talked to my relative that grows tomatoes on a large scale. He said
his would be finished in less than a week and advised me to strip my
vines as there was little chance of the green tomatoes ripening. I told
him about the tree rats. Well I thought I might have a little more time
until two of the dang tree rats were having a party this morning in the
one tomato bed :( One actually sat in a nearby tree and watched me pick
the tomatoes! That determined their fate right there. I left no food
source for them other than some hot peppers and I really hope they munch
on those evil grin.

Here's pics of the damage. They seem to go for the nicest tomatoes too :(
http://tinypic.com/e66fyp.jpg
http://tinypic.com/e66gr5.jpg

Then I found this little critter
http://tinypic.com/e66jhf.jpg

My large basket is about 18" diameter and 6" deep. I picked 3 of these
baskets full as well as 2 of the 3 L baskets shown beside the large
basket. The large tomatoes are beefsteaks and I was sure ticked to see
the tree rats had got to a couple of those too. I have them ripening on
4 lg. shelves in the greenhouse. Any ideas for using up some of the
green ones now?

http://tinypic.com/e66iit.jpg

I bought some of these pricy green tomatoes recently. I was surprised
to see they finally did start to turn orange in my kitchen after some
a couple weeks at room temp. I suspect they were starting to rot. Is
this normal for green tomatoes to turn orange, or did I get stiffed,
or will they do this under specific conditions? If so, how do you know
when they are ripe?

Dominic

Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:

I bought some of these pricy green tomatoes recently. I was surprised
to see they finally did start to turn orange in my kitchen after some
a couple weeks at room temp. I suspect they were starting to rot. Is
this normal for green tomatoes to turn orange, or did I get stiffed,
or will they do this under specific conditions? If so, how do you know
when they are ripe?

Dominic

The green tomatoes will ripen to their natural ripe colour. For me that
means romas will ripen to a deep orangy red, beefsteaks to a deep red,
brandywines to a piny red with green streaks, and mellow yellow to a
bright yellow. I've never seen green tomatoes for sale around here and
I sure wouldn't pay for them. Our frost date is coming up within a week
and the nights are too cold for the tomatoes to ripen on the vine.
That's why they were picked.

I googled green tomato recipes and found a good many, including one for
tea bread. Since I needed tea bread I made it. It's quite good.

Mix:
1 c oil
3 eggs
2 c sugar
2 t vanilla
2 c ground green tomato

Sift together and stir in:
3 c flour
1 t soda
1 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
2 1/2 t cinnamon

Put in 2 oiled pans and bake 1 hour at 325. (I used 5 miniloaves and
baked them 40 minutes.)

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005, ~patches~ wrote:

Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:

I bought some of these pricy green tomatoes recently. I was surprised
to see they finally did start to turn orange in my kitchen after some
a couple weeks at room temp. I suspect they were starting to rot. Is
this normal for green tomatoes to turn orange, or did I get stiffed,
or will they do this under specific conditions? If so, how do you know
when they are ripe?

Dominic

The green tomatoes will ripen to their natural ripe colour. For me that
means romas will ripen to a deep orangy red, beefsteaks to a deep red,


Thanks for your thoughts. So any ideas regarding my original questions?


Q1) Do green tomatoes ever turn orange/red as they mature or was I sold
some other type of tomato that was not ripe?

Q2) How does one determine when green tomatos are ripe?


Thanks in advance,

Dominic

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 14:14:57 +0200, Dominic-Luc Webb
wrote:

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005, ~patches~ wrote:

Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:

I bought some of these pricy green tomatoes recently. I was surprised
to see they finally did start to turn orange in my kitchen after some
a couple weeks at room temp. I suspect they were starting to rot. Is
this normal for green tomatoes to turn orange, or did I get stiffed,
or will they do this under specific conditions? If so, how do you know
when they are ripe?

Dominic

The green tomatoes will ripen to their natural ripe colour. For me that
means romas will ripen to a deep orangy red, beefsteaks to a deep red,


Thanks for your thoughts. So any ideas regarding my original questions?


Q1) Do green tomatoes ever turn orange/red as they mature or was I sold
some other type of tomato that was not ripe?

Yes they do if they are mature and are not a variety of green tomato.
Even the "green" varieties will turn yellow.

In the US, stores will sell green (unripe) tomatoes for making pickles
and relishes. In the gourmet grocery stores or farmers markets you
may find tomatoes are supposed to be eaten while they are green. But
these will not be hard like an unripe tomato. I grow a cherry sized
tomato named "Green Grape." I am planning to try a variety named
"Green Zebra" next year.

Q2) How does one determine when green tomatos are ripe?
They should be firm but not hard. What was the texture and taste of
the ones that turned?

Thanks in advance,

Dominic
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

Yes they do if they are mature and are not a variety of green tomato.
Even the "green" varieties will turn yellow.

They should be firm but not hard. What was the texture and taste of
the ones that turned?


OK, then maybe what I had really were green tomatoes. I was just
surprised to see the orange-red color. It was getting a bit soft
as it turned this color. Taste was quite fine, mildly sweet. When
these were green they tasted quite good. I got worried about the
color change because of rumors that green (unripe red) tomatoes
are at least mildly poisonous and perhaps carcinogenic. I have
not been anxious to compare the taste of unripe (still green) red
tomatoes. I have yet to look seriously into these helth allogations,
but have Medline access....

Dominic

"Dominic-Luc Webb" wrote in message
...
....
OK, then maybe what I had really were green tomatoes. I was just
surprised to see the orange-red color. It was getting a bit soft
as it turned this color. Taste was quite fine, mildly sweet. When
these were green they tasted quite good. I got worried about the
color change because of rumors that green (unripe red) tomatoes
are at least mildly poisonous and perhaps carcinogenic. I have
not been anxious to compare the taste of unripe (still green) red
tomatoes. I have yet to look seriously into these helth allogations,

I certainly hope not. When I was in Italy in the late '60's, they served,
and I ate, a lot of green tomato salad. And they were unripe red tomatoes.
Delicious. Been makin' and eatin' it ever since...(:-o)!


Later all,
DustyB

but have Medline access....

Dominic

Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005, ~patches~ wrote:


Dominic-Luc Webb wrote:


I bought some of these pricy green tomatoes recently. I was surprised
to see they finally did start to turn orange in my kitchen after some
a couple weeks at room temp. I suspect they were starting to rot. Is
this normal for green tomatoes to turn orange, or did I get stiffed,
or will they do this under specific conditions? If so, how do you know
when they are ripe?

Dominic


The green tomatoes will ripen to their natural ripe colour. For me that
means romas will ripen to a deep orangy red, beefsteaks to a deep red,



Thanks for your thoughts. So any ideas regarding my original questions?


Q1) Do green tomatoes ever turn orange/red as they mature or was I sold
some other type of tomato that was not ripe?

IME yes they turn orange/red or whatever colour they are supposed to
mature to. That is a yellow tomato will turn yellow.

Q2) How does one determine when green tomatos are ripe?

My guideline for those I bring indoors is to let them turn orange/red
then feel. If there is a little give they are ripe, if they are still
very firm they aren't ripe so leave another day. Do not store in the
fridge unless you want mealy tomatoes.


Thanks in advance,

Dominic

Dusty Bleher wrote:

"Dominic-Luc Webb" wrote in message
...
....

OK, then maybe what I had really were green tomatoes. I was just
surprised to see the orange-red color. It was getting a bit soft
as it turned this color. Taste was quite fine, mildly sweet. When
these were green they tasted quite good. I got worried about the
color change because of rumors that green (unripe red) tomatoes
are at least mildly poisonous and perhaps carcinogenic. I have
not been anxious to compare the taste of unripe (still green) red
tomatoes. I have yet to look seriously into these helth allogations,


I certainly hope not. When I was in Italy in the late '60's, they served,
and I ate, a lot of green tomato salad. And they were unripe red tomatoes.
Delicious. Been makin' and eatin' it ever since...(:-o)!


Later all,
DustyB


but have Medline access....

Dominic




I hope not either since I just made green tomato salsa and green tomato
ketchup!

Could you share recipes for those?
LJ in BC

"~patches~" wrote in message
...
Dusty Bleher wrote:

"Dominic-Luc Webb" wrote in message
...
....

OK, then maybe what I had really were green tomatoes. I was just
surprised to see the orange-red color. It was getting a bit soft
as it turned this color. Taste was quite fine, mildly sweet. When
these were green they tasted quite good. I got worried about the
color change because of rumors that green (unripe red) tomatoes
are at least mildly poisonous and perhaps carcinogenic. I have
not been anxious to compare the taste of unripe (still green) red
tomatoes. I have yet to look seriously into these helth allogations,


I certainly hope not. When I was in Italy in the late '60's, they
served,
and I ate, a lot of green tomato salad. And they were unripe red
tomatoes.
Delicious. Been makin' and eatin' it ever since...(:-o)!


Later all,
DustyB


but have Medline access....

Dominic




I hope not either since I just made green tomato salsa and green tomato
ketchup!

"~patches~" wrote in message
...
....
I hope not either since I just made green tomato salsa and green tomato
ketchup!
Ummmmm! Sounds yummy!

Way ta go, "~patches~"!

DustyB