Green Tomato Mincemeat Recipe

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.

The annual glut of green tomatoes, ready to be sorted. Those that are quite undersized are great candidates for 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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About the Author – Steven Biggs

Bored of rows? Try a patchwork of lettuce. A focal point of edible flowers. A perennial bed edged with edible plants. When it comes to irresistible food gardens, horticulturist Steven Biggs sees the whole yard as a canvas—with a palette of veg, fruit, herbs, and edible flowers. With over 25 years in the horticulture sector, he’s worked as a college instructor, in greenhouse and nursery production, plant propagation, biological controls, and horticultural supplies. But his passion is to help people get creative with their home gardens. To think outside the box. To tailor the garden to what they love. That might be intrigue, form, texture, unusual ingredients, or a long harvest window. Maybe it’s as a creative outlet. If he’s not in his garden, you’ll catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast, writing gardening books and articles, and helping home gardeners think outside the box in one of his online classes.


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