"Faux Olives' from green tomatoes

[mzgarden]

This year we had an earlier than normal frost so we stripped the tomatoes.  Sadly, today (Dec 2) I used up the last of our tomatoes picked green and ripened inside.  I'll miss those.  But, along with the ones far enough along to ripen, I picked all the little green paste tomatoes.  Not sure why, but I ended up keeping a half gallon jar's worth of tiny green tomatoes.  They reminded me of green olives sitting in the bucket, so that's what I did.  I made up a brine, added some onion and garlic cloves, packed the teeny tomates into the half gallon jar and covered with the brine.  Used a weight to keep them all under the surface of the liquid and waited 30 days.  This was my inspiration link

It worked!  I'll adjust the seasoning next time - too much onion & garlic to taste like store bought green olives, but they're good plain, sliced into salads, cooked into casseroles and I'll make a tapenade with them, black and kalamata olives.

 

[feather]

I bet they are wonderful. I'm a fan of fermented vegetables.

[mzgarden]

I actually haven't grown up eating fermented stuff, except sauerkraut. Not even pickles, so I'm learning to enjoy them because I know how good they are for me.

[Deleted]

Fyi, green tomatoes were mom's productive punishment as a child. Along with unripened pears.

In fall such items were gathered watched and dried. And wrapped in newspaper one sheet per fruit.

Then put in a box with extra crumpled newspaper.

The box was stored in the basement.

Once a week each wrapped item and checked for signs of ripening and or rotting. Dispose rotting one but the ripening came upstairs to use.

Put in this recoverable glass bowl with apples.

Why was it a punishment ... Any bickering and you got picked for the task. You had to work with the other party while you settle the disagreement in a , " civil mature matter, trust me I can find other chores for you to work together till the cows come home" mom would say (she must have had dementia...we did not have cows.)

www.madaboutberries.com/tomatoes/how-to-ripen-green-tomatoes.html

Seems it pretty well known

[mzgarden]

@paisley , thanks for sharing that memory. Many a time I've wished I grew up more in tune with growing our own food, ag cycles of nature, etc. To start at 55 (a long while ago) and try to catch up with all of you with your years of learning by doing is a daunting task. Mom's idea of a garden was a pot with a cherry tomato. Dad's idea of land was a suburb yard he landscaped with dry riverbeds, rocks and pavers. Mom lovingly referred to me as her 'mutant' daughter. We used to say I was Laura Ingalls trapped in a Sex in the City rerun, lol.

[dw]

Those sound good. Love olives! My experiment this year was pickled cherry tomatoes...found the recipe on line. They were pretty good.