You may have heard of or even tasted a regular tomato pie before, but I’ll bet you never had a green tomato pie! Unlike its cousin, savory tomato pie, this pie is made with unripened green tomatoes and is sweet.
I can see you are perplexed. You have probably never heard of such a thing, much less tasted one? I hope this post can clear up any confusion and it piques your interest in going green and making this novel dessert.
Why you will love this recipe:
- It starts with a purchased refrigerated pie crust. Of course, you can make your own, but to keep things simple, we are using this shortcut today.
- As intriguing as this recipe is, it’s the taste that will make you a believer.
- It’s a dessert, enough said! And, if you are one of those folks who occasionally like dessert for breakfast, you will love a slice of this pie.
What is it:
Green tomato pie is just what it states. Thinly sliced green tomatoes are mixed with warm spices such as cinnamon and cloves, and then added to a piecrust and baked to pie perfection.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any stranger, there’s more. Green tomato pie tastes just like apple pie, and it’s often called mock apple pie. I know you are probably shaking your head about now, thinking I have lost my mind, but it’s true!
Green tomatoes:
Green tomatoes are just that, green. In other words, they are regular tomatoes that have not yet ripened. They are not a specific variety such as green zebra tomatoes, and they are not tomatillos; they are just tomatoes that are not ripe.
By themselves, they don’t taste anything like they do when ripe; in fact, they tend to be astringent and a bit acidic. However, when cooked in spices and sugar, the taste mellows into something entirely different. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have the ultimate dessert.
Where to buy them:
Depending on what time of year it is and where you live, you can probably find green tomatoes in any large grocery store. In the summer they are easy to find at farmers’ markets. And, if you are lucky enough to have a garden with tomato plants, well you are really in luck!
Here’s what’s in the recipe:
You will need a purchased prepared pie crust, green tomatoes, granulated sugar, dried cranberries, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, cloves, and kosher salt.
You will also need a 9 to 9-1/2 inch pie plate or a 9 to 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
Here’s how to make it:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the tomatoes 1/8-inches thick or as thinly as possible. Discard the stem and bottom ends.
Add the sugar, dried cranberries, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to a large bowl and mix well.
Add the sliced tomatoes and carefully toss them to ensure the slices are coated with the dry mixture. Once everything is combined, add the lemon juice and zest and mix again.
Unroll the crust and place it in the pan you are using. Smooth out any wrinkles, add the tomato mixture, and spread out evenly.
Add the top crust and fold the edges under the bottom crust edges. Seal the two edges together by fluting the crust. (See the video if you need help with this step.) Or, you can just crimp the edges together by pressing them with a fork.
Use a pastry brush and brush the top crust lightly all over with the egg wash. Sprinkle sugar over the top and cut four small slits in the middle for the steam to escape.
Bake for one hour or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
Cool for a minimum of three hours before serving.
Storage and leftovers:
Store the dessert covered on your kitchen counter at room temperature for up to two days. It can also be covered and stored in the fridge for up to five days, but the crust will soften. I don’t recommend freezing.
Sharon’s tips:
Make sure your tomato slices are the same thickness. I use a handheld mandoline, you can use a knife, but it’s hard to get the slices the same thickness.
Handheld mandolines cost around $15 and are worth their weight in gold. They are small, easy to store and make short work out of slicing potatoes, tomatoes, you name it.
Green tomatoes ripen quickly when at room temperature. Store yours in the refrigerator to keep them from ripening before you are ready to use them.
Not all purchased crusts are created equal. I like and use Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts. They come two to a package and can usually be found close to the refrigerated canned biscuits. I don’t have any type of affiliate relationship with this brand.
Leave your crusts in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. It’s easier to handle if chilled.
Be sure and let this dessert cool completely to allow plenty of time for the filling to set before trying to slice it. If not, the filling will be runny.
If you would like a bit more spice to the filling, feel free to add a small pinch of allspice or nutmeg.
Related recipes:
If you liked this dish, I know you will also love these easy pie recipes: Pear Pie, Southern Peaches and Cream Pie, Kumquat Pie, Cranberry Pie, and Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie.
On the other hand, if you like savory tomato dishes, you might want to check out another green tomato recipe, Fried Green Tomatoes, and two of my favorite summer recipes: ClassicSouthern Tomato Pie, and Southern-Style Cherry Tomato Pie.
★ If you liked this recipe, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones. I hope you’ll come back soon!
Green Tomato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Crust ingredients:
- 1 package refrigerated pie crusts you will need two crusts, for a top and bottom.
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 teaspoons coarse sugar you can substitute granulated sugar
Filling ingredients:
- 1-3/4 pounds green tomatoes about five or six medium size
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the tomatoes 1/8-inches thick or as thinly as possible. Discard the stem and bottom ends.
- Add the sugar, dried cranberries, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to a large bowl and mix well.
- Add the sliced tomatoes and carefully toss them to ensure the slices are coated with the dry mixture. Once everything is combined, add the lemon juice and zest and mix again.
- Unroll the crust and place it in a 9-9.5-inch pie plate or 9-10-inch cast-iron skillet. Smooth out any wrinkles, add the tomato mixture, and spread out evenly.
- Add the top crust and fold the edges under the bottom crust edges. Seal the two edges together by fluting the crust. (See the video if you need help with this step.) Or, you can just crimp the edges together by pressing them with a fork.
- Use a pastry brush and brush the top crust lightly all over with the egg wash. Sprinkle sugar over the top and cut four small slits in the middle for the steam to escape.
- Bake for one hour or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
- Cool for a minimum of three hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Handheld mandolines cost around $15 and are worth their weight in gold. They are small, easy to store and make short work out of slicing potatoes, tomatoes, you name it.
Green tomatoes ripen quickly when at room temperature. Store yours in the refrigerator to keep them from ripening until you are ready to use them.
Not all purchased premade crusts are created equal. I like and use Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts. They come two to a package and can usually be found close to the refrigerated canned biscuits. I don't have any type of affiliate relationship with this brand, I just like them.
Leave your crusts in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. They are easier to handle if chilled.
Be sure and let this dessert cool completely to allow plenty of time for the filling to set before trying to slice it. If not, the filling will be runny.
If you would like a bit more spice to the filling, feel free to add a small pinch of allspice or nutmeg.
It turned out like a sweet green tomato soup in a pie pan. Also, it tasted more like rhubarb pie than apple pie, but that might be because I cut down the sugar to 1 1/4 cups. It was delicious anyway, just not what I expected. I don’t know what I did wrong,
Hi Hillary, I’m so sorry your filling was soupy after baking this pie. The only reasons I can think of might if you didn’t let the pie cool completely before cutting it or if by any chance you might have left the flour out or not coated the tomatoes with the flour mixture. Adding less sugar shouldn’t have had anything to do with the thickness of the filling. I’ve actually never tasted a rhubarb pie so I can’t comment on that.
All my best,
Sharon
I’m intrigued by our use of a cast iron skillet as a pie pan. Can you say something about the pros and cons?
Hi Tim, I’m not sure I can provide all of the pros and cons, and I don’t use mine all of the time for baking, but when I bake something rustic like this pie, for my blog, I like to use it and feel that it bakes more evenly. And, I also like the way it looks in pictures better than just a normal pie pan.
All the best,
Sharon