What to do with green tomatoes? Are they poisonous?
Tomatoes are harvested, green tomatoes are in boxes. They say you can't eat them, the poison is there: solanine!
There is no solanine in tomatoes!
Instead, there is a similar, weaker poison: tomato. And judge for yourself: solanine is bitter, and green tomatoes are not bitter. Tomatin is ten times less toxic than solanine.
In small quantities, tomato is a very useful substance.
In 1837 Tomato tablets were widely advertised in the United States. They were made by the medic Guy R. Phelps. He considered the discovery of tomato to be one of the most rewarding discoveries. The tablets helped with biliary problems and were an antidote for mercury poisoning.
Interestingly, tomato is the raw material for the production of the steroid hormone cortisone. It is also used in a number of medicines and dietary supplements. It turned out to have much more useful properties than was expected in the 19th century.
Back to green tomatoes
Not so many years ago, all vegetable shops greeted customers with delicious green tomatoes, in cans and barrels. And in childhood, the boys did not listen to tales about solanine and ate green tomatoes without harming their health. Remember?
And the grandmothers in the villages fermented green tomatoes in barrels and they were healthier than us.
However, green is green; for the preparation of various dishes, they take tomatoes in milk ripeness, shiny. And a lot of tomato, at the same time an excess of organic acids and nitrates, in very unripe tomatoes that have not reached the normal size for the variety.
You do not need to ripen more green tomatoes, they will only dry out. You can cook them, although they will not be so tasty and you should not eat a lot of them.
What to do with the "right" green tomatoes
- The simplest thing: put on the windowsill, they will quickly ripen.
- Gently put into the cellar in 1 layer, take out a little and ripen.
- Salt
- Marinate
- Ferment
- Stuff (cold appetizer)
- Make caviar
- Make a salad or other quick cold snack
- Put out
- Cook jam
I have never cooked green tomatoes yet. Now I am inspired, but I don’t know any proven recipes.
I would be grateful for your subscription and recipes :)