I know I have a few months before I'll do this, but was wondering...Our family loves fried green tomatoes. Has anyone ever sliced them and then froze them. Maybe putting wax paper in between them, to keep them seperated? Can anyone think of a reason this would not work? Would love to have some this winter. Thanks!

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), August 07, 2000

Answers

My mother-in-law slices her green tomatoes, coats them with flour and freezes them flat on cookie sheets after they are completely frozen she puts them in a freezer bag. They aren't quite as good as fresh ones but they are good! Enjoy! I pick green tomatoes( just before a frost), wrap them in newspaper and store in a cool, dry place! They will last months like this and we had ripe tomatoes that were much better that groc. store ones in Janurary! Just check every once in a while to make sure that they do not spoil!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 07, 2000.

My wife does this on a cookie sheet, and then when frozen she puts them (loose) into a bread bag, or other kind of plastic bag so that she can take out only the amount needed for a meal. She does the same thing with whole ripe tomatoes. She removes the core and freezes them on a cookie sheet. As a matter of fact she is doing a batch of perfectly ripe (on the vine) "mortgage lifter" tomatoes as I type...

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), August 07, 2000.

Thank you both so much! You've made my husbands day. He was the one that mentioned if they could be frozen. Said he sure would love to have some in the dead of winter. I had never thought of it. Like you said Debi, they will be better than none or the store bought kind. And I'm going to wrap some also. Ed, don't you just love Mtge. Lifter? It's by far one of our favorite tomatoes. I'm going to have to try your wife's recipe for freezing red ones too. Does she leave the skin on? It sounds alot easier than the way I have been doing it. Thanks a bunch.

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), August 07, 2000.

I have done this. They tend to be a little mushy. I've wondered if you could can the slices?

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), August 07, 2000.

Where can I get the "Mortgage Lifter" tomato seeds? We love tomatoes and I start my own plants and love to try new varieties. I planted 87 "Brandywines" and they are wonderful. The tomaotes are very large and taste great.A slice hangs over the bread when you make a sandwich!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 07, 2000.

Hi Debbie, Burpees' carries them. Also, have you ever tried Chuck Wyatts' web page. He's a home based seller and collector of tomato seeds. Has an amazing choice of seeds. Found his site on the web and purchased some seed this year from him for the first time. Very reasonable price and good service. The seeds germinated well, too. I believe the web address is www.heirloomtomatoes.net Some of my new favorites I tried this year are.. Earl of Edgecomb, the prettiest light orange color and really delicious...Akers West Virginia, well behaved plant and wonderful tomatoes...Arkansas Traveler, prolific, pink, medium sized tomatoes, not a blemish on the skins....Chris Ukranian, Large, beautiful fruit. All are delicious. Have you tried the red brandywine? Tried it this year and was very happy with it. Produces better than the pink (for me) and has an excellent taste also. I tried out 36-40 different varities this year, just to see which ones did good in my climate. Some I've had a problem with blight and won't grow again. Others, just didn't produce as good, or would rot before they ever got ripe. Could be the weather as we've had alot of rain. But just a few of the ones I mentioned have been real troopers. Live in East Tenn. in zone 7. Found out this year the tomatoes know the difference where their grown!

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), August 07, 2000.

Another use for green tomatoes, if you have a sufeit,is green tomato mincemeat. A delicious alternative to meat-containing mincemeat and an excellent use of a ubiquitous surplus. If anyone wants the recipe, I'll post it here later.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 08, 2000.

Canned green tomatoes stay firm. The pickling does change the flavor, just change the water two or three times before frying.

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), August 08, 2000.

Why would you have to pickle green tomatoes to can them? Couldn't you just add a little vinegar to the water to provide some acid for safety?

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), August 09, 2000.