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Fried Green Tomatoes are a delicacy here in the south.
If there is one thing we love in early spring and summer in the South, it’s our green tomatoes. I honesty think we may enjoy them almost as much as our ripe tomatoes.
Almost.
It’s really no wonder we like them so much though. If you’ve ever tasted a fried green tomato then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Crispy, tart, and just delicious.
To tell you the truth, I stalk my Brandywine tomato plants and grab the green ones just when they are the perfect size for fried green tomatoes.
It’s no wonder my husband asked me the other day why we weren’t getting many ripe tomatoes for sandwiches. {ahem}
Anyway, fried green tomatoes make the perfect appetizer, topping to a salad, base to a delicious chicken salad, or serve them as a side dish with your other vegetables.
I have to tell you a funny little story about me and my fried green tomatoes. We’re in the process of moving my Mother into an in-law suite/ apartment at our house. As the movers were finishing up their last load into the house, I told them when they finished up I had a little snack for them. I ran out to the garden and picked as many green tomatoes as I could, fried up a huge batch of tomatoes and made a quick pesto to go along with them.
One of the movers had just recently moved to Georgia from the Chicago area and had never tasted fried green tomatoes. The others were life-long Southern boys and had eaten their fair share of them in their lives. As they gobbled up their third servings, the new to the South gentleman asked me, “may I please have the recipe? I never knew a tomato could taste so good.”
I packed up the remainder, refilled their glasses of sweet tea and smiled as they drove away.
I may not know how to pack moving boxes very well, but I can absolutely fry tomatoes.
Here’s how I make my Fried Green Tomatoes.
Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large green tomatoes
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease
- oil for frying
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes into ½ inch thick slices.
- Whisk together buttermilk and eggs in a dish.
- Mix together cornmeal and flour in another dish.
- Pour oil to 1/4" deep in skillet over medium heat.
- Add bacon grease.
- Place a few tomato slices at a time into buttermilk mixture.
- Then place each slice into cornmeal mixture.
- Make sure that both sides of the tomato are well coated with the cornmeal mixture.
- Using a fork or tongs, place tomatoes into skillet and cook until lightly browned on one side. Flip to fry the other side until lightly browned.
- Remove to platter lined with paper towels or brown paper sack to drain.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper while hot.
- Allow to cool for a minute or so and serve warm.
I hope you enjoy this family recipe as much as we do. Have you ever tried fried green tomatoes? I’d love to hear about it.
Enjoy!
Robyn
I am definitely going to try this recipe! I have yet to have fried green tomatoes and I live here in the south. How crazy is that? Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I can’t wait to hear how you like them! You are going to regret all the years you’ve missed with them in your life! Just move forward and enjoy them more. 🙂
I have never had fried tomatoes. I usually buy green tomatoes and roast them making a dip out of them, but fried, never.
Sounds like a great quick snack, maybe next time I’ll fry a tomato. Thanks for sharing Robyn.
I am ashamed to admit I’ve never made or had fried green tomatoes. But I think i will try it this summer. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!!
I haven’t made fried green tomatoes since moving to Australia in 96. I think it’s time I shared this delight with my friends here. 🙂
I just ADORE fried green tomatoes…one of my favorite things to do is to later a slice of fresh mozzarella in between two of them and put it in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt. Heaven! 🙂
Delicious! We love to squish feta cheese inside, too. Oh my goodness gracious – no words!
YUM! My dad is from Georgia and we try to have ourselves fried green tomatoes at least once or twice during the summer. They’re especially good with some chives and sour cream on top! This recipe is just like how my dad taught me to make them…delish!
YUM, Rachel. Summertime and fried green tomatoes go hand-in-hand.
Definitely a Southern staple, these look fantastic! Happy Cooking!
Okay, I’m from Michigan. Never had fried grren tomatoes til I moved to Tennessee. I ordered them for lunch and loved them. I am now officially a southern gal as I grew my own last year. I fried up a batch BUT they were soggy. Not at all like the restaurant. HELP!
YAY! Aren’t they amazing? Here are a few thoughts on why your fried green tomatoes may be giving you problems and coming out soggy –
1. Make sure that your tomatoes are firm and green. If there is excess moisture in your tomatoes, they will come out limp.
2. Hold your fried tomatoes over the skillet just a few seconds before placing them on your paper towel or brown bag to allow them to drain. If you put them immediately on the paper towel, they’ll end up steaming a bit and getting soggy.
3. Make sure your oil for frying is bubbling before placing your tomatoes in the skillet.
Keep me posted on how your next batch works out for you. I hope these tips help!
Thank you! looking forward to try try again!
This sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try them. They look amazing!Thank you!
Goodness. You cannot beat a good fried green tomato, and these look absolutely fantastic (and drool-worthy!) I haven’t ever made fried green tomatoes, but I’m feeling the inspiration right now, and you better believe I’ll be trying this out this weekend, as we have plenty of green tomatoes sitting on the vine in our little garden.
Thanks for sharing!
I made fried green tomatoes last night! My Goliaths haven’t done too well this summer (I keep after my children to water, but…), luckily, we have a great farmers market right up the street. I whisked together a cucumber salad for my cuke loving hubby and had the bright idea to add in the ends of the green tomatoes, chopped up. Turned out delicious! I put the cucumbers & tomatoes in a large bowl, sprinkled suger, salt, and pepper, and then added buttermilk ranch dressing and stirred it all together. Can’t wait to eat the rest for lunch, and I plan to try your Basil Cream Sauce Fettucine for dinner tonight!
I am a Southern girl, and there are few things in life that define southern cooking like these fried green tomatoes. My tomato plants didn’t do well this year, but I found a vendor at our local farmer’s market who regularly has green tomatoes, and my daughter (who chose to go to college in the north, bless her heart!) and I have eaten many batches of them this summer. We like them on biscuits for lunch – with sweet tea to drink, of course! I’ll never get my fill!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Fried Green Tomatoes…I am from Iowa but we grew up eating these amazing beauties!! Can’t wait to get my hands on some green tomatoes…I’m going to try your recipe with the buttermilk…normally we would just dip them into the egg and some seasoned flour and fry them up, however, I did start frying them in bacon grease a couple of years ago 🙂