Fermentation with Anastasia, Recipes
Published:
September 23, 2021
September 23, 2021
Fermented unripe tomatoes
We grow tomatoes as never before in Sweden. I guess it is both the pandemic effect and a gardening trend as a distressful activity. We do have a relatively short summer in Sweden, the tomatoes do not fully ripe in our climate. So why not turn unripe tomatoes into fermented tomatoes – a delicacy that can be eaten all winter?
Fermenting unripe tomatoes is an old tradition in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. My mother picked the last unripe tomatoes in October to ferment, she was best at waste management. Unlike red tomatoes, which become like a carbonated tomato bomb, the unripe tomatoes retain their firm consistency and are excellent for relish or chunky sauces.
There is often a misconception the unripe tomatoes contain solanine. It is true to some extent that they contain a glycoalkaloid called tomatine, solanine is also a glucoalkaloid. However, the research has shown that unripe tomatoes are not harmful to health. In Portugal, an effort has been made to “save” the unripe tomatoes by making a fermented tomato paste.
After all, people have consumed unripe tomatoes for at least 300 years by humans and we would definitely discard the poisonous food.
PrintFermented unripe tomatoes
- Servings : Glass jar 2 liters 1x
Scale
Ingredients
1 kg unripe tomatoes
A bunch of dill
A bunch of parsley
6 garlic cloves
1 chili pepper
2–3 tablespoons salt without iodine
Water
Instructions
- Rinse the tomatoes. Divide them into cloves.
- Chop parsley and dill. You can use other herbs, such as cilantro.
- Finely chop garlic chili.
- Mix the tomatoes with herbs, garlic, chili and 2 tablespoons salt in a bowl.
- The most important rule for a successful fermentation is an oxygen- free environment, ie without any air bubbles. Since it is not possible to pack unripe tomatoes tightly, we need to add brine. It does not need much, about 300 ml. I usually take 20 grams of salt per liter of water. Dissolve 10 g of salt in 500 ml of water and fill the jar until the tomatoes are covered with the liquid. Put the lid on.
- Store the jar at room temperature for 5 days. I never open the lid during the process, there is no expolsion risk at the tomatoes do not contain much carbs. Store the jar in the fridge or any cooler place. The tomatoes can last for at least one year.
If you have no unripe tomatoes, do with red tomatoes instead:
Detta är ett gästinlägg. Eventuella åsikter som uttrycks är skribentens egna.
