Best Food Forward: You can use all tomatoes

Tomatoes are fun to grow and eat, and to preserve for winter salsas, soups and stews. The weather being what it is I think many of us are stuck with some green tomatoes. So now what?

Green tomatoes can be substituted wherever red tomatoes can be used. They are more acidic, firmer and the flavor may be a little different.

I do not recommend that you use any tomato, red or green, from a dead or frost-killed vine. Why? Recipes for preserved tomato products are based on acid levels. Because the acid content of the tomato from a dead vine is much less than from a live vine they are not safe to preserve. Anything made from tomatoes from dead vine should be frozen or consumed immediately.

When preserving tomatoes, keep in mind the quality of the product is dependent on the quality of the ingredients. Use paste tomatoes, such as Roma, that have more flesh or solid tissue for foods that you want to be thicker. Use slicing tomatoes for the more juicy preserves you plan to prepare.

Tomatillos, also known as Mexican husk tomatoes, can be preserved as well. The dry outer husk must be removed, but tomatillos do not need to be peeled or seeded.

So how can you preserve tomatoes? You can dry, freeze, or can them. They can also be made into fruit spreads.

Canning

Only use boiling water or pressure canning methods when canning tomato products.

New tomato varieties and over-mature tomatoes are unsafe to preserve without adding an acid such as vinegar, citric acid or bottled lemon juice.

Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice, ½ teaspoon citric acid or 4 tablespoons vinegar per quart of tomatoes. Per pint of tomatoes, add 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons vinegar per pint of tomatoes. This should be added directly to the jars before filling with the tomato product. If you think the tomatoes have an acid taste add a little sugar, but do not reduce the amount of acid added.

Freezing

Frozen tomatoes will have a mushy texture when thawed and are best for cooking soups, stews and sauces.

Drying

Tomatoes are a great food to dry. They do not need blanching and dry to a crisp. Do not put dried tomatoes in oil for long-term storage. There is a risk of botulism toxin developing. If you want to put tomatoes in oil, store them in the refrigerator and use within three to four weeks.

Pickling and salsas

Keep the same safety concerns in mind with pickled tomatoes or salsas as with canned tomatoes. Usually a pickled tomato product or salsa has other low-acid vegetables added, such as onions and peppers. When pickling, use vinegar to achieve the necessary acidity levels. DO NOT alter vinegar, food, or water proportions in a recipe and DO NOT use vinegar with unknown acidity. Use only recipes with tested proportions or ingredients.

Recipes

Next week this column will address salsas specifically.

Be creative when planning to preserve tomatoes, but also think about safety. There are many tested procedures and recipes available to preserve your tomatoes, green or red. Creating your own procedures and recipes could result in an unsafe product. Check out these green tomato recipes.

If you have questions about canning and preserving safely, call the Washington State University Extension food preservation hot line 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 360-397-6060, ext. 5366.

Sandra Brown is the food safety and nutrition expert for the Washington State University Cooperative Extension in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. Reach her at 360-397-6060, extension 7712, or browns@wsu.edu. The WSU Cooperative Extension in Clark County is at 11104 N.E. 149th St., Building C-100, Brush Prairie, WA 98606.

Green Tomato Chutney

Yield:Makes 7 pints

16 cups sliced cored peeled green tomatoes

½ cup pickling or canning salt

3 tablespoons pickling spice

4 cups white vinegar

16 cups chopped cored peeled apples

3 onions, chopped

3 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

6 cups lightly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

Layer tomatoes and pickling salt in a large glass or stainless steel bowl, and cover them with cold water. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.

Drain tomatoes in a colander and rinse them well with cold water.

Tie pickling spice in a square of cheesecloth to create a spice bag and set the bag aside.

Combine vinegar and apples in a large stainless steel saucepan. Add onions, green peppers and the drained tomatoes. Bring the mix to a boil over medium-high heat and continue boiling for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in brown sugar and return to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, for another 30 minutes.

Then add the spice bag and chili powder and stir well.

Continue stirring frequently, until the mix is thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Discard the spice bag. Ladle hot chutney into hot jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Remove air bubbles and add more chutney if needed to keep about ½ inch head space.

Wipe the jar’s rim, center its lid and screw the band down.

Place jars in a boiling water bath canner and ensure they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove the canner’s lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Piccalilli

Recipe Yield:Makes 8 pint-sized jars

An excellent relish for meats and sandwiches.

22 medium-sized green tomatoes (about 6 pounds)

2 large onions (2 cups chopped)

6 green peppers

6 sweet red peppers

6 cups cider vinegar (5 percent acid), divided

3½ cups sugar

¼ cup canning/pickling salt

1½ teaspoon each ground allspice and ground cinnamon

4 teaspoon celery seeds

½ cup mustard seeds

Wash vegetables. Core tomatoes. Peel onions. Remove seeds, stems and membranes from peppers. Chop all vegetables in processor or blender and combine them in an 8-quart kettle. Add 4 cups vinegar. Boil uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain and discard the liquid. Return the vegetables to the kettle and add the remaining 2 cups vinegar, along with sugar, salt, and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Ladle the relish into eight hot pint-sized jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Wipe jar rims and affix lids. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars from bath, cool, label, and store at room temperature.

Green Tomato Pie

Recipe Yield:Serves 8 slices of pie

4 or 5 green tomatoes (enough to make 2½ cups when coarsely chopped)

1½ cups brown sugar

3 tablespoons flour

Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated

6 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup golden raisins

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ cup candied ginger, minced

2 8-inch pie crusts

Coarsely grate tomatoes, then place in a colander or cheesecloth and let them drain overnight refrigerated. Place one pie crust in an 8-inch pie pan. Roll out the second crust and set it aside. Add the remaining to the tomatoes and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell. Cover with the top crust. Prick holes in the crust. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool and serve.

Green Tomato Mincemeat

Recipe Yield:makes 5 pints

12 small green tomatoes

5-6 small tart apples

½ pound seedless raisins

2 cups brown sugar

¼ cup vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon powdered cloves

¼ teaspoon powdered ginger

½ orange

½ lemon

Core and quarter tomatoes and apples, but do not peel. Put both through course blade of food chopper. Combine with raisins, sugar, vinegar and spices in a large open kettle and cook two hours over low heat, stirring frequently.

Quarter the lemon and orange without peeling. Remove any seeds and run through the fine blade of a food chopper. Add to cooked raisin mix and stir well. Cool, then pack into pint containers to freeze.

Dilled Green Tomato Pickles

Recipe Yield:Makes 10-12 pints

10 pounds small, firm green tomatoes

10-12 garlic cloves

About four celery stalks, cut into 3-inch segments

Sweet green peppers

2 quarts water

1 quart cider vinegar

1 cup salt

Dill, to taste

Wash the tomatoes, then pack them into clean pint-size canning jars. Add to each jar a clove of garlic, a 3-inch stalk of celery, and a wedge of green pepper. In a saucepan, mix the water, vinegar, salt, and dill. Boil for five minutes. Pour the hot mixture over the tomatoes in the jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe the jar’s mouth, and adjust the lid. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. Pickles will be ready to use in four to six weeks.