Fried Green Tomatoes

I thought I’d share my “recipe” for fried green tomatoes in case some of you non-southerners might not know how to make them.  It’s so incredibly easy!

Feel free to skip to the recipe but if you would indulge me…

I don’t really remember my mom making them much (though from the south, she didn’t cook southern food often) but I do remember my Grandma Bonner making them once.  Though she lived in CA most of her life, she grew up in Oklahoma.

During one of my visits with her, she decided that we would go visit one of her brothers (Uncle Bud or Kenneth…not sure which) who was going through cancer treatments.  As it is with most cancer patients, most food just didn’t sound good to him.  But he or someone who was helping take care of him told Grandma that he was craving fried green tomatoes.

So she acquired some green tomatoes and set to work.  I’ll never forget when he removed the towel from the plate.  He was clearly excited that she had made fried green tomatoes and after eating a couple, exclaimed, “I’m so glad you sliced them thick!  Just the way I like them!”

I don’t know how she made them (I was likely too young to help) but I will never forget her doing that for her brother. 

The type of green tomatoes is important.  You don’t want to use green ones that are on the verge of turning orange…they are too “mushy.”  You want to use the smaller hard green tomatoes.

green tomatoes, sliced to desired thickness

water 

self-rising white cornmeal 

oil (I usually use canola)   

Place the tomatoes in the water.  Drain.  Dredge in cornmeal.  Place about ¼ inch of oil in a skillet.  Heat on medium.  Place a single layer of tomatoes in the skillet and fry for several minutes, until brown.  Turn, fry until brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Salt/pepper if desired.   

You can freeze these before you fry them.  Place the coated slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Freeze completely, move to a ziplock freezer bag.  You can either thaw them completely or fry them at a little lower temperature frozen.  They are a different consistency than fresh but they do in a pinch during the winter when you need a taste of summer.