Green Tomato Mincemeat

It is such a waste to simply pitch the green tomatoes at season’s end into the compost that frugal gardeners for generations have come up with enticing ways to use them.  One of the more common ways a generation or two ago was by turning them into a meat-free mincemeat.  We share below an excellent recipe for this wonderful condiment presented in Beatrice Vaughan’s 1963 Yankee Hill Country Cooking.  This will make 5 quarts, and we can it up for use throughout the year. 

4 pounds green tomatoes, finely chopped
3 oranges
4 pounds apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped
3 cups raisins
1 tablespoon salt
4 pounds light brown sugar
½ pound butter
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoons freshly ground nutmeg
½ tablespoons freshly ground cloves

Cover chopped tomatoes with boiling water.  Let rest for a minute and drain.  Repeat and drain well.  Place drained tomatoes into a heavy 2-gallon pot.  Add grated rind of one orange and juice of all three.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer over very low heat until thick and dark, approximately 1 hour.  Place into canning jars, seal with lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  

We particularly enjoy using this as the filling for small tarts. 

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