My greenhouse is full of green tomatoes, and so it is time to admit defeat on ripening and get creative in the kitchen. By the time October arrives, even the most carefully tended greenhouse is unlikely to coax much more ripening from tomato plants. The light has shifted, the days are shorter, and while the foliage may still look vigorous, the fruits stubbornly hold on to their green colouring. It is a bittersweet moment – the end of the tomato season, with bowls of unripe fruit left behind – but it is also an opportunity, as green tomatoes are a crop of their own, and can make some really distinctive and delicious dishes.
Encouraging the last few to ripen
Just before you give up on them though, check out If you’ve got fruits that are beginning to blush, those with a hint of yellow, pink, or orange. There are a few tricks that can help them along indoors. The simplest is to bring them into a warm room and place them in a paper bag with a ripe banana or apple. Both release ethylene gas, which encourages ripening. Keep the bag loosely closed, check daily, and you’ll often find the tomatoes take on full colour within a week. Alternatively, line them up on a sunny windowsill, turning occasionally, though this method is slower. What won’t work in October is leaving them on the vine in a chilly greenhouse. At this point, you’re better off harvesting everything and sorting them by ripeness.
Classic ways to use green tomatoes
There are a couple of classic things we all do with our unripe tomatoes. Green tomato chutney is an autumn stalwart, a mixture of chopped tomatoes, apples, vinegar, sugar, and spices, simmered until glossy and thick, and making a fine companion to cheddar or cold ham. Green tomato relish is brighter and punchier, especially when spiced with mustard seed and chilli, and it makes a good partner for sausages or burgers. You can also pickle green tomatoes, packing them into jars with vinegar, dill and garlic.
Fried green tomatoes are the next place many of us go: thick slices of green tomato dredged in seasoned flour, fried until golden, and served with a creamy dip or chutney. They’re crisp on the outside, tender within, and super hot when first cooked – be sure to leave them to cool or burn your mouth.
Beyond the classics
But green tomatoes can go beyond chutneys and frying. Their firm texture and acidity make them surprisingly versatile in everyday cooking: they taste just like tomatoes but with a less sweet and more vegetable-like flavour, that is really useful in autumn dishes. You do need to be a little careful when using them raw as they have high solanine content, which can cause intestinal discomfort. But small amounts are fine and you can try them sliced thin in a salad with cucumbers and mint. Chopped and simmered, they can become the base of a green tomato pasta sauce, lifted with garlic and chilli. Folded into batter, they lend brightness to fritters or cornbread.
But I particularly like to lean into their sourness and cook them in boldly flavoured dishes, where they provide balance and body. One such dish that works beautifully at this time of year is a fragrant green tomato curry.
Recipe: Green Tomato Curry with Coconut Milk
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp oil (sunflower or coconut oil)
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, grated
- 2–3 green chillies, chopped (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 6–8 medium green tomatoes, chopped into chunks
- 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt, to taste
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, stir in the onion and cook until golden. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli, frying for another minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in the turmeric, then tip in the chopped green tomatoes. Stir well and cook for 5–6 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the tomatoes are tender. Season with salt and finish with a handful of fresh coriander.
Serve with rice or flatbreads.
Whether you lean into tradition with chutney, venture into pickles and salsas, or try a curry that makes them the star, these fruits still have plenty to offer long after the summer sun has faded.