Green Tomato Relish

Here’s a great way to save your unripened green tomatoes at the end of the season.

Homemade sweet relish with green tomatoes from the garden © Bottle and Brush Studio 2021

Green tomatoes are the unripened fruit with many uses. All varieties are green before turning red, pink, yellow, orange, or black, but some heirlooms mature and keep the green colour. For this sweet relish, the unripened ones are the ones we need. They are firm, high in acidity and are best cooked, fried, pickled or turned into a relish! My grandmother Laura’s sweet relish recipe was not made to be cooked or for long shelf storage, but unlike her, I don’t have seven children… So, I worked out an adaption that can be preserved in jars for up to a year. I have been successfully practising this recipe for many seasons now, as I always have many green tomatoes to save from the first autumn frosts. Green tomatoes are not usually found in shops or markets, but if you know some gardeners, ask if they’ll be happy to sell or swap them at the end of the season, and I’m sure they will. Relish is like finely chopped pickles that resemble vegetables more than a sauce. This condiment enhances food and goes well with meat, sandwiches, salads, and, not to forget, hot dogs! Mixed with mayonnaise, it makes a delicious tartare sauce, which is great with fish, seafood or fried potatoes. After tasting a homemade relish, you’ll never want to buy commercial ones, plus you might even want to make your own!

Basket of green tomatoes and more relish to cook © Bottle and Brush Studio 2020-21

RECIPE

This recipe is available to purchase as a card or by enquiry.

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