Green Tomato Sweet Pickles, Whole Wheat Bread, & Ro-Tel…

This is a great way to use up those end-of-the-season green tomatoes.  We really only use these on sloppy joe’s, but some of the more creative ladies out there may think of other uses for them.

Green Tomato Sweet Pickles

1 gallong green tomatoes (16 cups sliced)

1/4 c. pickling salt

1/2 T powdered alum

3 c. vinegar, 5% acidity

1 c. water

4 c. sugar (cane juice crystals)

1 T mixed pickling spices

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 T celery seed

1/2 t. ground allspice

1 T mustard seed

Sprinkle salt over sliced tomatoes and allow to stand overnight.  Next morning drain well, but do not squeeze dry.  Mix alum with two quarts boiling water and pour over tomatoes.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Drain and cover with cold water, then drain well, rinsing alum away.  Tie spices in a cheescloth bag.  Combine spices with vinegar and one cup of water.  Add sugar and bring to a boil.  Pour solution over tomatoes, let stand overnight.  On the third morning bring the pickles and the solution to a boil.  Remove spice bag.  Pack into sterilized jars to within a half inch of top.  Process in boiling water bath five minutes.  Yield:  eight pints.

It is just my dh and I in our house, but we tend to use one loaf of this Whole Wheat Bread a week, and we both like it a lot. 

I thought I would also throw in a quick and easy (and yummy) Ro-Tel recipe for those of you out there with a lot of extra tomatoes.

Ro-Tel Tomatoes

1 gallong rip tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 large green bell peppers, chopped

8 hot peppers, chopped

3/4 c. vinegar

3/4 c. cane juice crystals

1 1/2 T salt

Mix together in a stainless steel pot and cook for 45 minutes.  Put into sterilized jars.  Seal and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. 

I use this in my rice to make spanish rice or red beans and rice.  I’ve even run it through a food processor as salsa.  You could add some fresh cilantro when you do this to make it a bit more flavorful.

Over the weekend I hope to make some homemade tomato soup, so I will let you know how this turns out if I get to it. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!