What Are Green Tomatoes Anyway? Here Are All the Best Ways to Use Them

Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor, The Kitchn
Andrea is the Associate Food Editor at The Kitchn. She is a lifelong Chef and full-time clog enthusiast. Her passions include grabbing more books at the library than she can read in the time allotted and the relentless pursuit of the perfect burrito. She lives in Salem, MA with…read more
published Aug 1, 2024
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overhead shot of four green tomatoes
Credit: Vicky Wasik

Summertime ushers in the best of a wide variety of seasonal produce — the sweetest corn, melons at the peak of their flavor, and probably my favorite, the juiciest, most-flavorful tomatoes. You may have also noticed, however, that in addition to the bounty of tomato varieties suddenly available, there’s another kind of tomato on offer: the green tomato. Green tomatoes can be a bit mysterious. Are they ready to eat? Will they ripen when you take them home? Should you cook with them, or eat them raw? Here we go over everything you should know about green tomatoes and how to use them.

Credit: Vicky Wasik

Unripe Green Tomatoes

This type of green tomato is indeed a tomato that has been harvested before fully ripening. As a result, unripe green tomatoes are generally pretty firm, not very juicy, and have a tart flavor. Because of their texture and flavor, unripe green tomatoes are not great for eating raw; they are however great for cooking. Fried green tomatoes are the classic dish to prepare with unripe tomatoes, since their firm texture means they hold up much better to breading and frying than a ripe tomato would. They’re also great for turning into jam, chutney, or pickles.

 Unripe Green Tomato Recipes:

Can You Ripen Green Tomatoes?

Long story short, the answer is sometimes. If you’d like to turn your green tomatoes into a ripened red tomato, you’ll need to keep it relatively warm and can help speed along the process by putting them into a paper bag with other fruits that produce ethylene gas — like bananas or apples, which will help speed up the ripening process. However, green tomatoes will not always fully ripen this way. If you’re looking for juicy red tomatoes to eat raw, your best bet is to buy them that way in the first place. 

Credit: Vicky Wasik

Ripe Green Tomatoes

There is a second kind of green tomato, which tastes quite different from the unripe sort. These are heirloom tomatoes that are bred to retain their green color when ripe. These tomatoes are just as pliable, juicy, and sweet as ripe red tomatoes, and can be eaten raw. Try them in a tomato sandwich, or layered with different colored tomatoes to make a multicolored tart or rainbow bruschetta.

Ripe Green Tomato Recipes:

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Ingredient
Tomatoes
Vegetables