Turn Green Tomatoes into Lively Condiments

Green Tomato Chutney

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 3" piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 pounds green tomatoes, with no trace of pink, cored and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• a pinch dried red chili flakes
• 1 1/2 cups black currants (or substitute raisins)
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar and the sugar. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

In a piece of cheesecloth, wrap the ginger root, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Tie the packet with kitchen twine and submerge it in the simmering vinegar syrup. Add the green tomatoes, onion, salt, chili currants, mustard seed, and celery seed and simmer, stirring often to avoid scorching, until the tomatoes are tender and the chutney is thick and glossy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the spice packet.

Ladle hot chutney into clean jars and leave 1/4 –inch of headspace and the top. Close the jars with hot, two-piece canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Detailed instructions on canning can be found at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 year.

Spicy Green-Tomato Pickles

Makes 2 quarts
Traditional cultures all over the world practiced the ancient art of preserving vegetables by brining. Sauerkraut, kimchi, grape leaves, cucumbers, turnips, green tomatoes, peppers, corn, and many other vegetables were commonly preserved through this process. In its simplest form, it is just vegetables and salt. This provides the right conditions for fermentation. The salt slows the decomposition of the vegetables briefly until the sugars in the vegetables are broken down and converted into acids. These acids then preserve the vegetables for many months.

Equipment

To hold your pickles, you will need a 1-gallon stoneware crock, a food-grade plastic bucket, or some other nonreactive container, such as a large glass jar. To cover the pickling container, use a plate that fits snugly inside the rim of the container or two plastic zip-top bags that are large enough to cover the surface.

The Stoneware Pickling Crock has a lid and weights, above, that keep the fermenting food submerged in the brine.

As an added benefit, these brined pickles are a probiotic food. The flavors are part Jewish deli, part Southern: They're sour like a kosher dill, but the pickling spices give them an, old-fashioned spiced flavor that reminds me of my grandmother's pickles. They are wonderful on their own, served with burgers or on a meat-and-cheese platter.

• 2 quarts quartered or sliced green tomatoes, with no trace of pink (those will be mushy)
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• A large handful dill (Look for dill heads or flowering dill, but fronds will suffice. You may also substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill.)
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1-2 jalapenos, halved lengthwise

Brine

• 1 quart of filtered water
• 3 tablespoons fine sea salt

For crunchier pickles: a handful of grape, sour cherry or oak leaves

In a clean crock or other pickling vessel, layer your vegetables and spices. Leave about 4 inches at the top of your crock.

Prepare your brine with cold, filtered water. Whisk well to completely dissolve the salt and pour the brine over your vegetables. The brine should just cover your vegetables. Next, you need to add a weight that keeps the tomatoes submerged in the brine. You can use specially made pickling weights or make your own with a plate that just fits inside the container. Weigh the plate down with a well-scrubbed rock or several quart jars that have been filled with water and covered. Cover all of that with a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth.

Store the crock in a cool place (60 to 70 degrees F). Liquid may bubble up and seep from the pickles as they ferment, so place the crock on a tray to contain any overflow. Check your pickles every day and skim off any scum, yeast, or mold that forms. At temperatures above 70 degrees F, yeast and mold are more aggressive, so fermenting in a cooler environment requires less maintenance. Your pickles will take four to 10 days to ferment, depending on the temperature. Cooler temperatures retard fermentation.

You will know that fermentation is complete when bubbles are no longer rising to the surface of your pickles and they have a fresh, tart smell. Taste the brine. If the saltiness is not balanced with sourness, you can let your pickles continue to ferment another day or two.

Store your finished pickles in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to a year — as long as you keep them under brine. If you fermented in a stoneware crock, you may transfer your pickles to sterilized jars for storage. You may also process your pickles in a water bath for shelf storage, but that will damage the probiotic nature of naturally fermented pickles.

Green Tomato Chow-Chow

• 6 lbs. (about 12 large tomatoes) green tomatoes, cored and diced
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 3 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 fresh hot peppers, diced (optional)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a large, nonreactive saucepan Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture thickens into a relish, about 2 hours.

Ladle hot relish into clean jars and leave 1/4" of headspace. Close the jars with hot two-piece canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Detailed instructions on canning can be found at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 1 year.