Storm Loss

[plumtreeblossom]

Yesterday a strong and violent storm knocked my largest beefsteak tomato off the plant before it was ripe. I came home from work to find every plant disturbed, and empty pots thrown about the balcony by the wind gusts. The poor pepper plants were nearly killed, as well. We don't often get dramatic weather around here, but when we do, it always catches me off-guard. I'm so sad about this tomato. It was huge and would have gotten huger. Oh well, no Topsfield Fair ribbons for me this year, I guess.



I've never tasted fried green tomatoes before. Worth it?

X-posted to apartmentgarden

Comments

[noire.livejournal.com]

If you let it sit long enough it may well ripen. Mine have when they've come off the vine like that...

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I would try that but it cracked in falling. So I guess I'm going to have to eat it now or never.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Even cracked tomatoes will ripen if left to sit on a windowsill long enough. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it's not rotting.

Just before frost last year I took off all the green tomatoes, no matter how small or solid green they were. Some didn't ripen until Thanksgiving or even after then! (they were picked well before Halloween when the first frost was imminent). They were quite tasty when red too.

I made fried green tomatoes once (with some of those tomatoes). I was sick to my stomach the whole next day. I thought I had gotten the recipe right, but I think the massive amount of "fried" combined with the tomatoes' acidity took their toll on my tummy. YMMV.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Hey, you were right! It's starting to ripen on the window sill! If I can get it to not rot from the crack, it might get all the way ripe!

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed fried green tomatoes in the past, yes.

[squibbon.livejournal.com]

Yes. Fried green tomatoes are very, very, tasty.

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

Fried green tomatoes are awesome. Go for it.

Oh wow.

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

That's huge... I am so sorry.

I hope the rest of the garden recovers OK.

[komos.livejournal.com]

Fried green tomatoes are the bomb. If you decide against them, though, green tomato makes a great stand in for tomatillo in things like salsa verde or green gazpacho. You could also make a killer sorbet with mint, cardamom and lime.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

You can get a recipe for green tomato relish on line. If you've never had it, I recommend it. That's what I would do with that beauty. Also at the end of the season, you can make a big batch of relish from the last of the greenies - or you can wrap them individually in newspaper, stick them in a kitchen drawer and let them ripen slowly. I was able to keep fresh tomatoes until Thanksgiving that way when I lived up in the country.