Fried Green Tomatoes?
Ever since that wonderful movie with Jessica Tandy I’ve wondered about fried green tomatoes. People really eat green tomatoes?
I recall being served fried tomatoes for breakfast once, but they weren’t green.
Yes, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Curious as usual, we found some big green tomatoes at the farmer’s market last weekend and just had to try these fried green tomatoes. What follows is how to make fried green tomatoes that even first-timers can manage with great success.
The verdict at this house? Yum! What a great way to make use of end-of-the-season tomatoes.
Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
PrintIf you can find it, use fine white cornmeal, which is the primary cornmeal used in the South. Buttermilk adds flavor and tang, but is not strictly necessary.
Ingredients
- 3 medium, firm green tomatoes
- Salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup peanut oil or other vegetable oil
Method
1 Slice and salt green tomatoes: Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes.
2 Set out shallow bowls with coating ingredients: While the salted green tomato slices are resting, place in separate shallow bowls: the flour and Cajun seasoning (if using), buttermilk and egg, and breadcrumbs and cornmeal.
3 Dip green tomato slices in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs: Heat the peanut oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat the egg and the buttermilk together. Dip the green tomato slices in the flour-seasoning mix, then the buttermilk-egg mixture, then the cornmeal-breadcrumb mix.
4 Fry the green tomatoes: In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown.
Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to drain. These fried green tomatoes are fantastic with a little Tabasco sauce or remoulade.
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Links:
Homemade remoulade sauce - recipe here on Simply Recipes
Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk-Lime Dressing - from Ezra Pound Cake
Fried Green Tomatoes - from The Kitchn
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Fried Green Tomatoes
I’m sure these these great, but seems like a lot of trouble to me. Slice those tomatoes thin–1/4 inch or less. Sprinkle cornmeal mix on a platter and lay the slices on top of the cornmeal. Sprinkle each slice with a little salt and pepper. Turn over slices and repeat. Let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out the juices. Spoon more cornmeal mix over the top of the slices and spread gently with your hands to cover well. Let them sit for 10 minutes or so until the breeding coats them. Sprinkle a bit more on, then turn over and do the same on the other side. The longer they sit, the more the breading will build up. Fry in 1/4″ of olive oil over medium high heat until crisp and brown on one side, then turn and brown the other side. Serve plain or dip in Ranch Dressing.
I’m 77 yrs old and grew up eating fried green tomatoes. As did my mother. And all in NE Minnesota. It’s very logical when you think about it, as back in the day you’d be hard pressed to ever find a tomato ripening on the vine. Growing season was too short for the varieties available back then. Now we have to grab them early as they’ll be ripe before you know it. My mother just used seasoned flour/egg/flour. I will print your recipe & try it. Sounds yummy.
If you use buttermilk you do not need the egg. It comes out lighter and crisper.
Hi. I have a very basic question. Are the green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes? Or are they a special variety of tomatoes that are green? Thanks
Hello Ania, they are unripe tomatoes.
Thank you so much! I have a bunch if unripe tomatoes in my garden still. I am so excited to try this recipe! Thanks for the great blog!
Hi, I too, were curious as to whether they were actually unripe tomatoes or a specific variety. After much research I found out that its actually a variety of tomato, which are green when they are ripe. Most articles stated that they were Heirloom tomatoes, the green variety, as heirlooms also come in a red variety. I purchased some today and plan on making them tomorrow, I cant wait!
Also, during my research I found out the unripe green tomatoes contain a toxin. The smaller and harder the unripe tomato is, the more toxin it contains. But in one article it said you would need to consume quite a bit for the toxin to effect you.
Idk, just wanted to share my research
I plan to use your recipe tomorrow, it sounds delicious!
I mix Martha White’s Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix with seasoned panko bread crumbs instead of plain cornmeal and bread crumbs. That gives the tomatoes extra crunch.