Growing tomatoes
Posted by happypanda on Aug 06, 2008 · Member since Jan 2007 · 324 posts
For those who have grown their own tomatoes before...do they generally take a long time to ripen? I have tomato plants for the first time this year and they are HUGE and covered in green tomatoes but it seems like they are never going to ripen...some of the tomatoes have been on the plant for a few weeks at least.
Do I just need to be more patient? I want delicious tomatoes now!!
You just have to be more patient. It's damn hard to do.
But if you just can't wait, you could make some fried green tomatoes.
I don't know what area you are in but a major factor affecting tomato ripening is the temperature, the ideal temp for tomatoes to ripen is between 67-77F, the farther and longer temps are out of that range means it will just take longer for your fruits to ripen, but they should get there eventually. It should take about a month and a half (depending on variety) from the time you first see those little green tomatoes until they are ripe enough to pick.
speaking of fried green tomatoes... what do you guys batter yours in? i have this huge green tomato that i wanna fry up, but am not sure how to do it, since i never have before. also... what do they taste like? are they bitter? sweet? any different from a regular tomato? questions!
also, i have these tomato plants 'growing' on my sunporch. we only planted them like... 2-3 weeks ago. there's no hope for fruit is there? i don't think it's gonna happen, anyway.
i posted a really similar thread a couple months back on a gardening forum. my tomatoes were taking FOREVER to ripen. but then i saw one start to turn yellow, then the next day it was red and all of the others started to ripen right away.
You just have to be more patient. It's damn hard to do.
But if you just can't wait, you could make some fried green tomatoes.
Seriously, fuck ripe tomatoes. Fry yourself up some green ones, serve with fried tofu or seitan steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy and cornbread. And some homemade iced tea or lemonade! For dessert, obviouisly you will need a peach cobbler.
Seriously, fuck ripe tomatoes. Fry yourself up some green ones, serve with fried tofu or seitan steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy and cornbread. And some homemade iced tea or lemonade! For dessert, obviouisly you will need a peach cobbler.
I think someone is still on a soul food kick.
They will turn red! They take a while, but they're worth it when they do.
Ok, you guys are giving me confidence that I will soon have delicious tomatoes. Although then I am going to have more than I know what to do with....looking up salsa and sauce recipes!
I'm also curious about the fried green tomatoes...no idea how they taste or what is the best batter for them.
You just have to be more patient. It's damn hard to do.
But if you just can't wait, you could make some fried green tomatoes.
Seriously, fuck ripe tomatoes. Fry yourself up some green ones, serve with fried tofu or seitan steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy and cornbread. And some homemade iced tea or lemonade! For dessert, obviouisly you will need a peach cobbler.
you're hilarious.
and i'm gonna try fried green tomatoes tonight, regardless of the fact that i STILL don't know how to cook them. cmon guys! fill us in.
Oh! I was just concocting a fried green tomatoes recipe the other day...I have a ton of huge green ones and lots more forming so I know I will be eating some of them green...
I will work on the batter and post the recipe in this thread later this week.
*sigh* we got NO tomatoes this year at all!!! we had so much rain, the plants totally pooped out on us. :'(
im not a tomato person myself, but i love to pick em, smell em and i try to convince myself that i love them all the time. I think fried green maters might do it this time! ;)b
Oh! I was just concocting a fried green tomatoes recipe the other day...I have a ton of huge green ones and lots more forming so I know I will be eating some of them green...
I will work on the batter and post the recipe in this thread later this week.
*ahem*
It is later in the week and you have yet to post a recipe. My inner fat kid is begging for some southern fried goodness! :-[
let it all hang out, sb! ;D
In an issue of martha stewarts mag..there was a blurb on preserving green tomatoes.
Take a jar of pickle juice, cut your maters into quarters and put in the briny liquid. They will stay for a few weeks.
It might help you w/ your overload of maters.
Although then I am going to have more than I know what to do with....
Try drying them!
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/dryingtomatoes
I dried a bunch this year and packed them in EVOO.
Oh! I was just concocting a fried green tomatoes recipe the other day...I have a ton of huge green ones and lots more forming so I know I will be eating some of them green...
I will work on the batter and post the recipe in this thread later this week.
*ahem*
It is later in the week and you have yet to post a recipe. My inner fat kid is begging for some southern fried goodness! :-[
Damn it, Sb...you gots to be patient!
I am srsly going out to the garden to grab some maters for lunch right now...I'm on it!
i made mine last night! or actually bf did since i'm phobic of frying. he dipped the slices in soymilk, then into a mixture of cornmeal, salt, and...oats! :o they were really good, but the batter didn't stick to them too well. we are working on an improvement. possible. i could only handle one slice.
with KETCHUP! why are all fried foods so much better with ketchup?
toms needs lots and lots of warm sunshine and home-grown toms taste the best! I've grown my own for the last 4 or so years, but this year we had a rubbish spring/early summer period and I couldn't get out to plant up. However, yesterday, my work colleague brought the first picks from his and they were so lovely.
Re: fried green toms - never had them and tbh didn't know they are coated in batter - like an fried onion ring? sound good
Mine generally are covered in green tomatoes for a good long while before they ripen. Then I have 400 tomatoes at once. Good fun.
toms needs lots and lots of warm sunshine and home-grown toms taste the best! I've grown my own for the last 4 or so years, but this year we had a rubbish spring/early summer period and I couldn't get out to plant up. However, yesterday, my work colleague brought the first picks from his and they were so lovely.
Re: fried green toms - never had them and tbh didn't know they are coated in batter - like an fried onion ring? sound good
Well, the fact that I haven't seen the sun in a good long while probably isn't helping...darn rain...
I sneaked a peak at my super-gardener neighbour's tomato plant and his aren't ripe yet either. So it can't be that I somehow screwed up in my tomato growing.
Ok, here it is. I had these for lunch with some sweet corn. I thought they were yummy and ate most of them myself...of course, I am kinda a piggy.
http://vegansapien.com/images/fried_green01.jpg
Fried Green Tomatoes
2 medium tomatoes, green (unripe)
Dry batter:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 cup flour
2 1/2 Tb nut. yeast
Wet batter:
1 1/2 Tb yellow mustard
1/3 cup soymilk
Additional ingredients:
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 cup cornmeal
Directions:
1) Slice tomatoes thinly.
2) Stir together the first seven dry ingredients.
3) Stir together wet ingredients.
4) Add a heaping 1/4 cup of the dry mix to the wet and stir until combined.
5) Add the 1 Tb baking powder and 1/4 cup of cornmeal to dry batter.
6) First dip tomato slices into wet batter then into dry until thoroughly coated. ( I use the good ole plastic bag method.)
7) Fry in med hot oil until evenly browned.
i made mine last night! or actually bf did since i'm phobic of frying. he dipped the slices in soymilk, then into a mixture of cornmeal, salt, and...oats! :o they were really good, but the batter didn't stick to them too well. we are working on an improvement. possible. i could only handle one slice.
with KETCHUP! why are all fried foods so much better with ketchup?
blasphemy. Ketchup befouls everything it touches!
Ok, here it is. I had these for lunch with some sweet corn. I thought they were yummy and ate most of them myself...of course, I am kinda a piggy.
http://vegansapien.com/images/fried_green01.jpg
Fried Green Tomatoes
2 medium tomatoes, green (unripe)
Dry batter:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 cup flour
2 1/2 Tb nut. yeast
Wet batter:
1 1/2 Tb yellow mustard
1/3 cup soymilk
Additional ingredients:
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 cup cornmeal
Directions:
1) Slice tomatoes thinly.
2) Stir together the first seven dry ingredients.
3) Stir together wet ingredients.
4) Add a heaping 1/4 cup of the dry mix to the wet and stir until combined.
5) Add the 1 Tb baking powder and 1/4 cup of cornmeal to dry batter.
6) First dip tomato slices into wet batter then into dry until thoroughly coated. ( I use the good ole plastic bag method.)
7) Fry in med hot oil until evenly browned.
Holy shit. THANK YOU!