I don't know about your kids but my kids are super picky eaters. They eat typical kid food like mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs – but make a homemade meal and you can forget. You can bet when I make a homemade meal (like chicken cordon bleu) and try to include them in it most of the time they will snuff up their noses at me. Especially baby bug. He's way pickier than his brother.
Of course, he may eat a bit better if he knows a dessert like peanut butter or chocolate chocolate chip cookies are coming. I wish the saying was true “Kids make it. They eat it“, but such trickery doesn't always work on my bugs.
So it was no surprise when I made Italian Fried Green Tomatoes that no one ate them but me. Good thing cause I thought they were awesome! I can only eat so many though and I didn't want to throw them out. I just knew all my years of watching my grandma freeze EVERYTHING would come in handy.
Once I was completely stuffed up to my nose in fried green tomatoes I continued to batter the remaining tomatoes I had left (just as if I was going to cook them). In a single layer I laid them flat on a cookie sheet and stuck them in the freezer until they were frozen. It took a few hours.
Once the fried green tomatoes were frozen I wrapped them in wax paper making sure none of the tomatoes touched each other. I then stuck the wax paper bundle in a freezer bag and put them back into the freezer for later use.
You know what? I think the frozen fried green tomatoes almost tasted better than the fresh ones. Probably gives the seasonings more time to settle in. And not mushy at all like some people might think.
Thawing frozen food can be tricky at times so it's a good thing you can cook these frozen. The frozen green tomatoes cook the exact same way as fresh ones but just take a tad longer time on each side to cook. Probably about 3 minutes on each side instead of two. What is your favorite thing to freeze?
Perfect timing with this! My husband planted way too many tomatoes, and here in the Northeast, they started ripening even later than usual. Thus, a plethora of green tomatoes that I need to do something with!
Please try the recipe. I wish I had some green tomatoes now. I think my MIL is all out 🙁
What a wonderful post to follow up your recent fried green tomatoes post. 🙂
Thanks Susan!
I wouldn’t have thought of that (the battering them up but not cooking before freezing). Thank you for that tip!
It works like a charm 🙂