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Monday, August 29, 2011

Canning Green Tomatoes for Frying

I'm not sure if I was a squirrel in a previous life but when fall is near... I kick into canning mode.

I've been canning up green tomatoes for frying this winter. They're handy to have in the pantry for an easy meal or snack. :)

I wash the tomatoes, remove the stem ends and cut off any dark spots.
Then slice about 1/4" thick. You can slice them as thick as you like.



I work with 7 jars at a time...that's what my canner holds.

Stack the sliced matoes into the hot sterilized jars.
I add a pinch of salt to each jar, and 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice (these are pint jars, add 1 TBS of lemon juice to quarts)



widemouth jars work best for me... they are easier to fill.



fill the jars with water, then run a knife around the sides to remove any air bubbles...fill with more water if needed, leaving 1/2" headspace.



I keep my lids hot....



Wipe the jar rims with a cloth and top with the lids.



Ready for the waterbath canner.



Lower the jars into the canner making sure you have at least 1" of water covering them...
Process for 40 minutes...





Ready for use this winter. :)



When ready to use, just drain, season with salt and pepper, use your favorite coating and fry until golden and crisp. Here is the recipe I use.. Fried Green Tomatoes

I crave fried green tomatoes year round and it's nice to have some on the shelf when the snow flies. :)

26 comments:

Mrs. JP said...

OH darn,,,I forgot that trick with green tomatoes you told me last year I think. That's all the crows let me have this year. Each a.m. I'd look out and those varmints were having a tomato party. I need to remember this for next year. Great idea!!!

cowgirl said...

Shoot Mrs JP, Sorry to hear about the crows! Sounds like they had quite a feast.
Hope it works out better for you next year.
Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

Probably a stupid question but does the water you pour into the can need to be warm? Thanks.

cowgirl said...

Not a stupid question at all Anonymous! I use regular room temperature water from my tap. I have a well so the water is pretty good.
I know a few who boil their water first and some even use distilled water. It's not necessary to use hot water in the jars, but don't use cold, the jars will crack in the canner.
Hope that makes sense. Let me know if not!

Thanks for stopping by. :)

Rueben said...

Cowgirl, those green fried tomatoes have always been something that I have wanted to try.

Gonna fry up a batch when I get to Cali.

Yours look so delicious. Makes me want to eat my screen. HeHe!!

So close and yet so far.(:{

cowgirl said...

Rueben I hope you are able to give them a try sometime. I guess not everyone liked fried green tomatoes but they are one of my favorite comfort foods. They bring back good memories for me. :)
Thanks so much friend! :)

LB @ Bullets And Biscuits said...

Well, my hubby is gonna love you! I didn't realize that you can "can" green tomatoes for frying later. I "can" everything else so I am not sure how I missed this ;) Thanks for sharing! Just in time too since we are near the end of our tomato season

cowgirl said...

Thanks LB! :)
I can them, but Larry at Big Dude's Ramblings says he slices and freezes them.
Either way they are handy to have in the winter. :)
Glad to hear I'm not the only one who cans everything. lol
Thanks!

David P. Offutt - The Gastronomic Gardener said...

Rifles and green tomatoes. What a heartbreaker ;)

cowgirl said...

hahaa David, Thanks! (((HUG)))

Mike Maggard said...

Fried Green Tomatoes?

Let's plan a conference and get some folks together.

BTW I have never have been able to get this method to work for me. Might need some personal instruction. --Liberty Guy

cowgirl said...

Liberty Guy, I hope you keep tryin', they're pretty tasty in the winter. :)
Thanks for stopping by!

kandi21485 said...

When you want to use them after you can them are they mushy? I asked my mom how to do it because she cans a lot. She said she thought they would be mushy when you opened them. Just curious :)

cowgirl said...

Hi Kandi, nice to meet you! :)
The tomatoes aren't mushy but they are soft. When battered and fried they are crisp like regular ole fried green tomatoes. They are a good substitute for the real thing during the winter. :)
Thanks for stopping by!

Marj said...

Hi, my kitchen is full of green tomatoes we just picked and I had the same question as kandi21485. Canning them sounds great and I want to do this. One recipe I saw said to process for 7 minutes. That didn't sound like very long. Can they be processed for shorter length of time?

cowgirl said...

Hi Marj,
I would not cut down on the canning time. Not sure if it would be safe.
Thanks for stopping by, nice to meet you. :)

Unknown said...

Hello you said 40 minutes for pints how long for quarts don't think pints would be enough love my fried green tomato thanks for sharing

cowgirl said...

Hi Mikki! Sorry for the delay in getting a reply to you. I checked my recipe and it says 40 minutes for quarts too. Hope you have great luck with them. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Unknown said...

I have a question I canned mine according to the recipe yesterday evening and I checked this morning to see if sealed and they weren't what did I do wrong. How long does it take for them to seal.thanks

cowgirl said...

Hi Angie, mine usually seal within one hour after being pulled from the canner.
I space the jars a bit on the counter to let the air flow around them.
The only thing I can think of that might have kept your jars from sealing is if there was something on the rims of the jars or maybe there was a bad batch of lids.
Lids can only be used once then they need to be thrown away and fresh ones used.
I fill the jars, remove air bubbles and wipe the rim of the jars well to keep anything from coming between the jar and the rubber on the lid.
You might be able to use new lids and try canning them again.
Good luck to you!!
Hope you are having a great summer too. :)

Unknown said...

Will the crisp stuff you put on pickles keep them crisp?thanks, Shiley

Debi said...

Will this work with green cherry tomatoes?
Can I use my pressure cooker, or just do the hot bath?
I have a bunch left on my plants and want to do something with them.
Never fried little tomatoes, but figure I can give it a try.

Unknown said...

Do they stay crisp?

cowgirl said...

Shirley, they become crisp when fried. Right out of the jar, they are pretty soft but the coating and frying improves the texture.
I love them.. they are better than no fried green tomatoes during the winter. :)
Thanks for stopping by!

cowgirl said...

Debi I've not tried the cherry tomatoes canned and fried. If you do, I'd use the water bath canner. Pressure canning them would make them really soft!
I use small green tomatoes for pickling. I have a recipe here on my blog for those. They are pretty tasty.
Thanks for stopping by!

cowgirl said...

Sorry for the delay in getting a reply to you Sharon!
They are soft after canning but when you coat and fry them, the texture is fine. I like them crisp!
Fresh tomatoes are always best but this method works great, and they taste so good during the middle of winter. :)
Hope you have great luck with them. Thanks for stopping by!