Green Tomato Pasta Sauce

Be sure to use that glut of green tomatoes at the end of the summer season for good use! You will appreciate bottles of Green Tomato Pasta Sauce come winter.

Not all green tomatoes will ripen on the vine nor windowsill. Some stubbornly will remain green as the cooler weather hits. As you may have already read, raw green tomatoes aren’t advisable to eat due to their tannin however, once cooked, they are most delicious.

If you have had your fair share of fried green tomatoes, or prepared a bountiful supply of Green Tomato & Chilli Chutney you may wish to turn your abundant harvest into a Green Tomato Pasta Sauce!

PLEASE NOTE: As this recipe doesn’t include vinegar in the ingredients list (as you would imagine for a chutney or relish) it’s important that the jars are 100% sealed with both sterilised jars and lids. If the lids don’t ‘pop’ and indent once cooled down, I highly recommend you then use the Water Bath Method  for any jars that didn’t quite seal as you’d like. It’s not as difficult as it may sound and I have found it results in a 100% success rate.

You can cook this pasta sauce in a large saucepan on the stove top, or you could throw all the ingredients into a slow cooker on low for a few hours. As the mixture is blended before bottling, it doesn’t actually matter so much how you cook it but ensure that the pot is covered as you don’t want to reduce it down too much.

At the end of the bottling process, you’ll read that you squeeze some lemon juice on the top – it helps build a thin barrier to help hinder oxidisation and discolouration.

How do you use Green Tomato Pasta sauce?

Green tomatoes (by design) are both bitter and acidic. While the cooking process makes them edible, you may find the aftertaste too bitter for your liking. It has been suggested (and I well agree) that when it comes to using the pasta sauce:

• you may wish to add it to a white or cheese sauce before serving – helping to smooth out some potentially sharp edges
• dilute it with coconut milk, before heating and serving
• or add a dollop of sour cream and/or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top is tasty too.

Green Tomato Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 2kg green tomatoes, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 chilli, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 bay leaves
• lemon juice

Method

1. Put everything into a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil then cover, stirring regularly. After 45-60 minutes the tomatoes will be soft.
2. Remove the bay leaves, then using a stick blender (or food processor) blend the mix into a smooth sauce.
3. Pour into sterilised jars, squeeze a layer of lemon juice onto the top of each preserve, then seal with a sterilised lid. If the lids don’t naturally pop and indent once cooled, use the Water Bath Method to ensure it seals properly, or alternatively keep the unsealed jars in your fridge.