Green Tomato Mincemeat Recipe

Cooking and Preserving

Sep 26

Written By Steven Biggs

By Steven Biggs

Great Recipe for the Fall Glut of Green Tomatoes

Before the first fall frost, I pick ALL of the green tomatoes in our garden.

Then I sort them:

Those that are mostly sized up and will ripen well indoors (find out more about ripening green tomatoes indoors)
Those that are damaged and need to be watched closely as I ripen them…in case they begin to spoil
Those that are nowhere near the final size, and don’t have good prospects for ripening

It’s those last ones, that are small and likely won’t ripen into anything worth eating, that are great candidates for making into green tomato mincemeat.

Green Tomato Mincemeat

Our family friend Cathy gave me this green tomato mincemeat recipe. It’s a great way to use up undersized green tomatoes that likely won’t ripen. The green tomato is the filler in this recipe.

Ingredients

11-quart basket of green tomatoes, finely ground
20 apples, finely chopped
1 ½ lbs. raisins
2 lbs. dried currants (dried currants—not red or black currants, which are different)
1 lb. mixed peel
5 lbs. white sugar
1 cup suet, finely ground
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground clove
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. salt

Making the Mincemeat

Cover the ground green tomato with boiling water, and leave for 10 minutes.
Pour off water and repeat.
Drain.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Boil slowly for a couple of hours.

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Steven Biggs
Recognized by Garden Making Magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.

He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.

Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.

When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

Green Tomato Mincemeat Recipe

Great Recipe for the Fall Glut of Green Tomatoes