I saw a recipe for fried ripe tomatoes in the Doubleday Cookbook, today. Has anyone tried such a thing? It just called them fried tomatoes, but the recipe specified ripe ones.

I know people fry green ones all the time.

They probably have to be relatively dry tomatoes, which, to me, are usually less flavorful.

@pepperhead212
It does specify firm tomatoes, but it's a pretty old cookbook, although mine is a newer edition of it from 1987. The recipe was probably around in 1975 or before.

The same cookbook also has recipes for these:
* Broiled tomatoes
* Baked tomatoes
* Stuffed tomatoes
* Stewed tomatoes
* Tomato-cheese-corn Pie

@Cornelius_Gotchberg might appreciate that the fried tomatoes recipe did mention using bacon drippings (as one of the potential fat sources). Other than that, it was just tomatoes, salt, and pepper, with specific instructions for cooking.

It says something like this (I'm paraphrasing): Put the fat source on medium for 1 minute. Add the sliced large tomatoes (¾-inch thick). Cook the tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes; it sounds like you only do this to one side of the tomato. Add salt and pepper (it sounds like you do this after it's done cooking).

The Roma VF I've been growing could definitely be fried and stay firm. It can stay firm even after it's canned. It might be an offtype.

Shule wrote: ↑Wed Jun 04, 2025 11:20 pmIt does specify firm tomatoes,

If that's the case, you's couldn't go wrong with the inimitable Yaqui Hybrid (https://tomatogrowers.com/products/yaqui-vffna-hybrid)

The Gotch

I've fried thick slices of tomatoes like that for years.
Not long but just enough to heat them up.
If you get a firm store bought tomato you can fry them like you would a green tomato.
Not a fan of either myself at least not enough to go out of my way to make them.

I like fried green tomatoes myself, mostly with a thinner white sauce. We bread them. For us, best to pick the tomatoes as they barely are breaking color, so the sugars are up, but firm enough to take the breading process and cooking. Sort of like breaded squash or eggplant, not an intense flavor, but we like 'em.

Thicker ripe tomato slices broiled with parm cheese or ?? cheeses, good too.