Fried Green Tomatoes

[LeapFrog Libby]

Lori, Talking about wanting fried green tomatoes in other than summertime. My parents used to pick all the green tomatoes before the first frost, and wrap each in a piece of newspaper and put them in the veg. bin in the refrigerator. Then, they would take a few out at the time, lay them on the windowsill to get sunshine and they would ripen that way. We had fresh garden tomatoes til long after Christmas that way, when I was a kid. My DS right now will not put a tomato in the fridge, he says it ruins their taste. He is nuts! ! But that would be a way you could save some of the green ones to have later in the year. Just don't leave them on a sunny windowsill ! !

[Bama]

Thanks Libby!

[DorothyL]

My DS right now will not put a tomato in the fridge, he says it ruins their taste. He is nuts! ! But that would be a way you could save some of the green ones to have later in the year. Just don't leave them on a sunny windowsill ! !

Libby, i learned that about tomatoes when I was working on a story on our local TomatoFest. I also learned that keeping them in a paper bag is better than sunlight for ripening them after they are picked.

Dorothy

[HeyJudee]

Libby, I remember helping my grandmother wrap green tomatoes in newspaper and putting them in a tall wicker basket. Weekly she would go thru them picking out the ripe ones. We would have tomatoes long into the fall and winter that way.

My mother loved fried green tomatoes...but she would just slice gr. tomatoes and onions and fry them in butter. I do this about once a year in Sept. when I pick up the tomatoes out of the garden before a frost. And I put the gr tomatoes in a paper grocery sack to ripen. My father told me to punch a couple of holes in the bag using a pencil to let some of the gases out. Works great ripening tomatoes that way for me.

[LeapFrog Libby]

I knew about to brown paper sack to ripen them from friends, but I don't have one inch in my yard that will support tomato plants.. Not enough sun. So, unless a friend or relative takes pity on me , I have to buy all mine. Right now, my Bro. is keeping me supplied in summer squash and tomatoes. Yummmmmm.

[HeyJudee]

I don't have any tomatoes in my garden yet. Up here it's usually Aug before we get any tomatoes. Right now I have some Sweet 100's (similar to cherry tomatoes) forming but they aren't ready yet. And I have two regular tomatoe plants, but only have flowers right now. But I did pick my first batch of yellow beans and cooked them for supper. They were yummy!

[DorothyL]

We have a balcony with flowers and roses and basil and one scrawny tomato plant.

Dorothy

[lendube]

That's all we have too, Dorothy. Except we have a greenhouse with about 6 scrawny tomato plants. I just don't know why they won't produce for us. Must get too cold at night? I read somewhere that that's when tomato plants do their growing. At night. I've fed them, give them lots of sun, humidity and water. I've got one measly tomato and a few flowers here and there. At the coast my mom's caregiver is growing tomatoes and the plant's got to be 7 ft. tall and 4 feet wide and brimming with tomatoes.

I just don't know ..................

[HeyJudee]

At night. I've fed them, give them lots of sun, humidity and water.

This morning I was telling my uncle that I can't believe how big my tomato plants are this year. Other years, I would water them every day using the hose before going to work. This year I'm usually only watering with my watering can using the water in my rain barrel so I think they're getting less water than before. He said it's probably cause the water in the rain barrel is warmer than when I would use the hose. He said that cold water would set them back each day. Also, are you watering in the morning vs evening. I remember reading that it was better to water them early so the plants aren't wet overnight.

[lendube]

They're not getting warm water, that's for sure. Our hose water is either scalding or freezing most of the time. That could be it. And they don't get water at any particular time. Though I water often it could be morning, afternoon or evening. We have misters in the greenhouse which the other plants seem to love since our humidity is practically non-existent usually. I suppose we should stick with watering and misting in the mornings and shooting for warmish water though in the morning it certainly isn't. The problem is that these plants are high up and I reach them with a hose that's in the greenhouse (it has water and electricity). The hose has a neat attachment that allows short me to reach waaaaaaaaay up high. I'll feel the temp tomorrow morning.

Now, I'm off to the dentist for a cleaning.............lucky me!

Thanks, Judy.