Green Tomato Treats

As fall is now upon us, summer gardens will quickly be coming to an end. Don’t let any unripe tomatoes go to waste though—if you still have a few green tomatoes when the first frost arrives, pick them and serve them up fried or in a green tomato pie!

From reader K.C.:

I can green tomatoes to fry all winter. Just slice them, place a teaspoon of canning salt in the sterilized jar, and pour over boiling water until it’s an inch from the top. Cap, and boil in the water bath canner for 25 minutes. When I’m ready to fry them, I gently dump them into a strainer to drain, then roll them in cornmeal to fry. These always disappear first at family gatherings! As with all things canned, be sure to store them on the shelf, on an old cookie sheet or other container with sides for at least a couple of months, to be sure to catch the overflow if one should spoil. These can also be pressure canned, although I’ve never tried it.

Green Tomato Pie

Too good to keep to yourself!

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled green tomatoes
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons soft butter
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pastry for a two-crust pie

Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Lay bottom crust in pie pan and fill with half the sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of the dry mixture. Top with remaining tomatoes and then the rest of the dry mixture. Dot with the softened butter and top with the remaining crust. Vent crust and place in preheated 450-degree oven. Bake 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake 30 minutes more or until crust is nicely browned.