Well, September has come to an end. And with it, our month of tomatoes and apples for me and Betsy’s Seasonal Potluck. Up next for October: pumpkins! I am so excited for a month of pumpkin recipes. I already have about ten recipes I’d like to post, so I hope I can scrounge up more time than I had this month to make them all! Remember to check the link page for recipes ideas, or to share your own!
Last night I went into the garden and picked the remainder of the tomatoes left on the plants. I had four tomato plants this year, and the ones that did the best were these yellow lemon tomatoes. The plants had all blown over in the last storm, and it’s supposed to be 39 degrees tonight, so I figured there’s a slim chance of these ripening on the half dead vines anyway (especially if they get hit with a frost). Okay, and to be honest, there’s another reason I wanted to get those tomatoes off the vine and be done with the picking and pruning…my vegetable garden has two new neighbors that really give me the creeps. These guys…
Not to worry, that load of tomatoes can be ripened inside! Or you could make something with them while they’re still green. I made my first batch of fried green tomatoes last week with this recipe from Southern Living. I think these would be deliciousl in a BLT as well. Or how about a green tomato and apple chutney, or green tomato cake? There’s a nice looking recipe for a green tomato relish here as well.
Like your tomatoes red? I have always been told to put them on a window sill to ripen. I don’t have a big enough window sill for tomatoes, so I either let mine sit in the fruit bowl, or put them in a paper bag with an apple. The apple will release ethylene gas, and speed up the ripening process. Make sure you check the bag every day though to make sure there’s no rotting. Whatever you do, don’t put them in the refrigerator or they’ll never turn red.
If you have any other tips or recipe ideas, I’d love to hear them! I just picked a good ten pounds of green tomatoes!
