Which gardener at the end of the season isn't faced with baskets of green tomatoes that stubbornly refuse to ripen? It is possible to uproot the vine and hang it up indoors and wait patiently for the tomatoes to ripen as my mother taught me to do. However, green tomatoes have many culinary uses from the famous fried green tomatoes to green tomato chutney. A more unususual and very versatile use is to make green tomato marmalade. This tangy preserve is not only wonderful on toast for breakfast but it makes an ideal relish to serve with grilled meats and curries as an unusual form of chutney.

The marmalade may be made on the stove top in a large preserving pan (please not brass) but I have found a much easier method is to make it in a slow cooking pot. This way the marmalade can bubble away without fear of it burning or boiling over. Mine took longer this way but the result was great, the orange peel was soft amd the tomatoes cooked to perfection. When it was ready, the color was a deep rich orange brown and it tasted sharp and sweet at the same time. All you need is a measured quantity of green tomatoes, sugar, a couple of lemons and a few juice oranges.The fruit needs to steep overnight before cooking so this must be taken into account when calculating the preparation time.

This is how to make it:

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs of Green Tomatoes Juice of two lemons

3 juicy thin skinned oranges

3 lb of sugar Muslin bag for the pips (which contain the pectin)

METHOD

Wash all fruit. Destem the tomatoes and remove the little crowns. Slice the tomatoes and oranges thinly and place in the pot. Reserve any orange pips and place in muslin bag. Squeeze the lemons in the pan again reserving the pips. Place the bag of pips in with the sliced fruit. Pour the sugar on top and leave over night You will be amazed at the amount of juice in the pot the next day.

Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat and cook until the orange rind is tender and the marmalade quite thick. Remove the bag of pips, squeezing out the juice. If you make this in a crockpot it will take longer. Start on high until the fruit is near boiling then turn down to low. When ready the color will deepen and the rind will be tender.Pot and cover.

This is a versatile marmalade as not only is it delicious on toast for breakfast, it is a great accompaniment for savory dishes and excellent as a filling for sandwich cakes. Enjoy!