I’m ready to hang up my gardening gloves for the season, but my tomato plants aren’t quite ready to quit yet. Even though night-time temperatures are dropping into the 40s, some of my tomato plants are still covered in blossoms. It won’t be long until the first freeze claims the last brave tomato vines still full of green tomatoes.

Before that can happen, I’ll hurry into the veggie garden and pick all the remaining green gems that won’t have time to ripen on the vine. It’s a welcome end-of-season ritual because it signals the end of the gardening season and the beginning of using green tomatoes in my cooking.

Generations of creative cooks have made the most of this harvest by using green tomatoes in all kinds of recipes. Green tomatoes can be sautéed, stewed, roasted, fried, made into relish or chutney, stirred into soup, baked into bread or cake, and preserved by canning or freezing. There are hundreds of recipes available online that show I’m not the only gardener who appreciates tomatoes still wrapped in green.

Once all the green fruit is harvested, I sort the tomatoes according to size and color.

Mature green tomatoes are a good size and have started to change color from green to a light white or barely pink. Because these tomatoes will eventually ripen, I wrap them individually in newspaper and keep them in a cool, dark cupboard. Over several weeks, I’ll check their progress every few days. I look forward to opening up each little bundle and always feel like I’ve won a nice prize when I find a bright red tomato hiding inside.

In sorting through the remaining immature green fruit I stack them in piles depending on how I plan to use them. Some of the larger ones will be cut into quarters, placed in a roasting pan, drizzled with olive oil, and slow roasted for several hours. I’ll refrigerate this batch to use as a condiment to accompany meat or curry dishes.

Smaller green tomatoes will be washed, cored, and diced for freezing in convenient two-cup packets. These chopped tomatoes have a future as a tasty veggie to be tossed or blended into vegetable soup, sautéed and added to omelets or other egg recipes, simmered into stews, or baked into other dishes that benefit from their bright, piquant flavor.

With careful planning, I’ll be able to enjoy my green tomatoes until it’s time to plant some more.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point - no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.

Buy at Amazon

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon