Creative Ways to Use Green Tomatoes This Autumn

Green Tomatoes are among the few vegetables that can continue to ripen indoors after being harvested.

Action is required towards the end of the season—in late summer and autumn—because as temperatures drop and daylight hours decrease, the final tomatoes usually cannot ripen fully on the vine. They should be picked and brought indoors to finish ripening no later than just before the first frost.

What remains in the garden

Cold-hardy vegetables: Kale, Brussels sprouts, lamb’s lettuce, and leeks tolerate frost and often remain ready for harvest outdoors for weeks.

Preserving herbs: Finely chop the last of the herbs—such as parsley, chives, or thyme—and freeze them or preserve them in oil.

Preparing the soil for autumn: Dig up tender tubers (like dahlias); cover the bed with mulch or fallen leaves to protect the soil.

See How To Freeze Fresh Herbs And Store Them For Later & Preserving Food: A Time-Tested Tradition Worth Reviving

What is the best way to ripen tomatoes indoors?

To ripen them, place the undamaged, unripe tomatoes side by side in a box or on a tray and set them in a warm spot.

The red pigment in tomatoes does not need light to develop; sufficient warmth is what matters most. The ideal temperature for ripening tomatoes indoors is around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. To speed up the process, it is also effective to wrap the tomatoes in newspaper or place them in a paper bag. You can also add an apple to the mix; the fruit releases ethylene, which helps the tomatoes ripen faster. It is best to check the condition of the tomatoes daily. After three weeks at most, the ripening process should be complete, and the tomatoes should have developed their characteristic color.

An alternative is to dig up the healthy plant, roots and all. You can then hang it upside down in a warm spot, such as a boiler room or laundry room. This allows you to continue harvesting for at least another two weeks. Tomato plants already affected by late blight should be disposed of with the household waste, though individual healthy fruits can be left to ripen indoors in a warm room.

Transforming Green Tomatoes into Delicious Autumn Recipes

Best Green Tomato Salsa

This green tomato salsa tastes just like salsa verde. Salsa verde is made with tomatillos, but using green tomatoes works just as well, or better!

Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes

I never let summer go by without making vegan Fried Green Tomatoes. They are golden and crispy on the outside and melt-in-the-mouth delicious!

Creamy Roasted Green Tomato Soup

This creamy roasted green tomato soup is the most delicious way to use unripe tomatoes! Roasting with a whole head of garlic and onion, plus using coconut milk, balances the tartness of the green tomatoes beautifully. 

Green Tomato Chili

So, with it being green tomato season at my house, I’m trying to find ways to use the big bag of tomatoes.

How to Make Easy Green Tomato Chutney (Best Recipe 👌)

This is how to make the most popular recipe on my website, green tomato chutney. It’s a rich, savory condiment that you can use with meat, cheese, and rice dishes, and it makes good use of green tomatoes left over at the end of the season. It’s simple to make, too, and this recipe shows how to water-bath preserves for optimal shelf life.

Old-Fashioned Green Tomato Jam

Green tomato jam is an old-fashioned sweet preserve that turns the last hard tomatoes of the season into something that’ll turn heads in gift baskets. It cooks down with lemon and cinnamon until it sets on its own, with no boxed pectin, and you end up with a sweet, spiced jam with a unique old-fashioned flavor.

Pickled Green Tomatoes (Old Fashioned Canning Recipe)

Pickled green tomatoes are a simple way to use up unripe tomatoes before the first hard frost takes them. They stay firm in the jar and come out tangy and sharp, somewhere between a dill pickle and a green olive.

Chow Chow Canning Recipe – Old Fashioned Green Tomato Relish

Passed down through generations, my family’s favorite chow chow recipe is a fantastic way to preserve end-of-the-season green tomatoes.

Green Tomato, Apple & Pepper Chutney

Green Tomato, Apple & Pepper Chutney is the perfect way to use the last of the season’s tomatoes. Combining green tomatoes with apple and sweet peppers makes a sweet, fruity chutney that is ideal as a gift.

See also > Delightful Dinner Recipes You Can Fall In Love With

And > In Autumn Is a Good Time to Make Squash Gnocchi & Fermentation: Unlocking Food Security in Challenging Times

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