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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat can I do with green tomatoes?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I didn\u2019t want to leave them outside to freeze, I will preserve\nsome in my freezer. If they were full size, I would wash them, remove the stem,\nand slice them before placing the slices in layers separated by wax paper or\nplastic freezer wrap. I can follow the same process for the smaller cherry size\nor I can quarter them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once they\u2019ve been frozen, the tomatoes will be mushy and\/or\nslimy. They won\u2019t be suitable for a salad but they\u2019ll be great for other\nthings. If I want some for frying into a bite-size appetizer, it will be best\nto slice them. If I\u2019m going to use them in salsa or pesto, quartering will work\nfine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before I begin the process of preserving, there\u2019s no\nreason not to enjoy a few right away. Using a cup of quartered green tomatoes, a\nfirmly packed cup of fresh arugula, a half cup of walnuts, a fourth cup of\nolive oil, a clove of garlic, and a fourth teaspoon of salt, I can create a\nscrumptious pesto. The lemony notes of the green tomatoes balance the peppery\nbitterness of the arugula. There\u2019s no need to add cheese so this is a great lower\nfat, dairy-free pesto option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although salsa verde calls for tomatillos<\/a>, it can be made with green tomatoes. They\u2019ll need to be roasted, preferably charred slightly, and the rest of the ingredients remain the same \u2013 onion, cilantro, lime, salt plus some kind of pepper like jalape\u00f1o or serrano. My neighbor is willing to share the overabundance of serrano peppers she grew, so that will be my choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the freezer is full, you may want to give some away. Pesto\nor salsa in a jar makes a great holiday gift. I like to include a card or label\nlisting all the ingredients so it\u2019s easy for anyone with a food sensitivity or\nallergy to identity a potential problem before they consume the gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those with very sensitive tummies, green tomatoes may not sit right when eaten raw. They contain the toxic alkaloid tomatine<\/a>. While you\u2019d have to eat pounds and pounds of raw green tomatoes for the toxin to harm you, it could cause tummy upset and\/or a headache for some. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family. Nightshades like\ntomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant can contribute to inflammation and make some\npeople with autoimmune disease suffer with related aches and pain. If you can\u2019t\ntolerate potatoes, you may also want to avoid tomatoes whether green or ripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the flip side, if you can tolerate them well, green tomatoes\nare a great source of antioxidants and at least one study has shown they inhibit\nhuman cancer cell lines of the stomach, colon, liver, and breast. They also\ncontain vitamins A and C, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, and minerals\nalong with fiber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I\u2019ve been talking about unripe tomatoes, there are some varieties that are green when ripe<\/a>. These are not common in the stores or gardens I frequent but don\u2019t be surprised if you run across one somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I feel fortunate to have so many healthy, tasty tomatoes at my disposal. I just learned that some of my crop will be used in pozole next door tonight. And I now have serrano peppers awaiting me on my porch. It seems like its time to retrieve them and get back in the kitchen so I can finish some salsa before there\u2019s frost on the pumpkin tonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n