Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Produce
- 500 g green tomatoes, firm, unripe, halved and very thinly sliced
- 150 g lemon, halved, seeded, and paper-thinly sliced
Pantry
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml water
- 1 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 22 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 21 g
- Sodium
- 23 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 62 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 8 mg
- Zinc
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash the green tomatoes and lemon thoroughly. Slice the green tomatoes into thin slivers. Cut the lemon in half, pick out and discard all visible seeds, and slice the lemon as thinly as possible.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sliced green tomatoes, sliced lemon, granulated sugar, water, and salt. Stir well to ensure the sugar coats the fruit completely.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently to prevent the sugar from scorching on the bottom.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the lemon pith turns translucent and the syrup reaches 105°C/220°F. This will take about 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. This resting period helps the fruit suspend evenly in the syrup rather than floating to the top. Carefully ladle the hot marmalade into sterilized jars and let cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Green tomatoes are naturally high in pectin, which helps this quick marmalade set beautifully without the need for any commercial pectin additions.
- Slice your lemons as thinly as possible. Using a sharp mandoline ensures even extraction of flavor and guarantees the quick softening of the pith during the boil.
- Always let the marmalade rest for exactly 5 minutes off the heat before transferring it to jars. This slight cooling thickens the syrup just enough to hold the fruit in suspension.
- Ensure your green tomatoes are completely unripe and hard. If they have begun to soften or blush red, their pectin content drops significantly and the marmalade will be runny.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 month — Keep tightly sealed in a clean jar.
Troubleshooting
Marmalade is too runny after cooling completely
Cause: The mixture was not cooked to the gel point or long enough to evaporate excess water
Fix: Return the marmalade to a saucepan and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, then re-jar
Prevention: Use a candy thermometer to ensure the mixture reaches 105°C before removing from heat, or use the chilled plate wrinkle test
Bitter aftertaste
Cause: Lemon pith was sliced too thickly
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Slice lemons paper-thin or blanch the lemon slices briefly in boiling water before adding them to the tomatoes
Cultural Context
Green tomatoes are a staple of late-summer Southern American cooking, most famously utilized to rescue the last of the garden harvest before the first frost. While frying is the standard savory application, sweet preparations like pies and preserves showcase the raw fruit's natural acidity and firm texture. Paired with lemon, the green tomato mimics the complex, sharp tartness of traditional Seville oranges used in classic British marmalade.
