Random Thoughts on Green Tomato Pickles

We have spent most of Easter making an in-depth study of Green Tomato Pickles. The bushes are all still loaded (mainly the Romas), but they are not ripening, and the beds are needed. So out they come.

Waste not, want not.

So we have made two batches and are on the third.

All recipes seem to be a combination of tomatoes, onions and sometimes capsicum/peppers - usually red for colour.

Brining seems to be either wet (salt and water) or dry (just salt). What gets me is that a number of recipes don't suggest you wash the vegetables after brining. Imagine the overpowering salt that would be in them!

The vinegar and sugar (very high) seem around the same, but the spices vary. The first one I used had fresh ginger in it, which I liked. But there is also paprika, curry, mustard and powdered allspice.

So the batch we are making now is that of my Beloved's late Mother - and it is fascinating to see how few spices are in there - just curry (lots!) and turmeric (also lots). Thinking about it, he feels his mother would have had very few spices in her armoury - probably mustard, curry, probably not even paprika. Fascinating.

Has anyone heard of any of any other vegetables routinely added to Green Tomato Pickles?

(And yes, we did make a batch of Spicy Mustard Pickles in there - cauliflower, green beans, corn, onion and capsicums. We only had to buy the cauliflower.)

I can feel a batch of Zucchini pickles coming up - if we don't run out of bottles.