Well it's half way through October and we picked what will probably be the second to last tomato crop from St George's Park at yesterday's LEAP work party. From what other people have told us we know we are far from alone in not seeing many of our tomatoes ripen this year. Like other growers we are left with a lot of green tomatoes that have actually outnumbered red ones in LEAP beds by a ratio of at least twenty to one. Tomatoes may ripen on the window ledge or in a dark dry place, but after looking into their wonderful properties below you may decide not to bother waiting for them to turn red.
People have been picking LEAP tomatoes anyway both red and green. Our partners in Wyre Forest Islamic Community Group have picked them to make curries with for example, other people have made chutney or have picked them to pickle. We have posted below a recipe from YouTube for green tomato chutney, an incredibly nutritious addition to most people's diet.
People have been picking LEAP tomatoes anyway both red and green. Our partners in Wyre Forest Islamic Community Group have picked them to make curries with for example, other people have made chutney or have picked them to pickle. We have posted below a recipe from YouTube for green tomato chutney, an incredibly nutritious addition to most people's diet.
There are many other delicious ways of eating green tomatoes, most famously fried in breadcrumbs as they are in the southern states of the USA. There are many recipes on the internet of great ways to prepare green tomatoes. These FREE foods are still available in St George's Park on the railings on the play area side of the paddling pool enclosure - easily harvested from the path.
Here are some fascinating facts about green tomatoes from extracts taken from the Healthy Eating page of San Francisco based website SFGate.
Green Tomatoes even more than red ones are superfoods. "A large green tomato has 43 milligrams of vitamin C, providing half the daily requirement for men and nearly 60 percent for women. It also has 58 micrograms of vitamin A, giving you close to one-tenth of your recommended daily intake. Getting enough of these antioxidant vitamins can help protect your immune system and prevent premature aging. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, so it is beneficial to eat green tomatoes with an iron source, such as meat, poultry, fish, spinach or an iron supplement. According to research Tomato plants use their tomatine content to combat bacteria, fungi, viruses and insects, but tomatine also appears to offer many human health benefits. One large green tomato provides about 10 percent of your daily requirement for the B vitamins thiamin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid, as well as a little less than 10 percent of the riboflavin and niacin you need each day. A green tomato also has one-fifth of your recommended daily intake for vitamin K, a nutrient that further benefits your blood by helping it to clot properly. Although a green tomato is low in mineral content, it supplements your diet with 5 to 10 percent of your recommended daily intake for iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese, minerals that benefit your blood, nerve function, bones and muscles. It also provides 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fibre, helping to satisfy your appetite and keep you feeling full. For only 42 calories, a green tomato supplies a wide range of nutrients."
Reference link:- http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-green-tomatoes-7590.html
This is the final call then, the remaining tomatoes will deterioriate rapidly as the colder winter weather arrives - so get there before Jack Frost does! Any remaining tomatoes will be picked by the LEAP team on Saturday 21 October LEAP work party so this is the last chance of FREE tomatoes this year from Let's Eat the Park
Here are some fascinating facts about green tomatoes from extracts taken from the Healthy Eating page of San Francisco based website SFGate.
Green Tomatoes even more than red ones are superfoods. "A large green tomato has 43 milligrams of vitamin C, providing half the daily requirement for men and nearly 60 percent for women. It also has 58 micrograms of vitamin A, giving you close to one-tenth of your recommended daily intake. Getting enough of these antioxidant vitamins can help protect your immune system and prevent premature aging. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron, so it is beneficial to eat green tomatoes with an iron source, such as meat, poultry, fish, spinach or an iron supplement. According to research Tomato plants use their tomatine content to combat bacteria, fungi, viruses and insects, but tomatine also appears to offer many human health benefits. One large green tomato provides about 10 percent of your daily requirement for the B vitamins thiamin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid, as well as a little less than 10 percent of the riboflavin and niacin you need each day. A green tomato also has one-fifth of your recommended daily intake for vitamin K, a nutrient that further benefits your blood by helping it to clot properly. Although a green tomato is low in mineral content, it supplements your diet with 5 to 10 percent of your recommended daily intake for iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese, minerals that benefit your blood, nerve function, bones and muscles. It also provides 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fibre, helping to satisfy your appetite and keep you feeling full. For only 42 calories, a green tomato supplies a wide range of nutrients."
Reference link:- http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-green-tomatoes-7590.html
This is the final call then, the remaining tomatoes will deterioriate rapidly as the colder winter weather arrives - so get there before Jack Frost does! Any remaining tomatoes will be picked by the LEAP team on Saturday 21 October LEAP work party so this is the last chance of FREE tomatoes this year from Let's Eat the Park