Hows best to deal with tough Roma tomatos

[FarmboyBill]

and bigger older cucumbers, that are just startingto yellow. I peeled and 8 2/3s of one, It was something to eat, but that was about all. Also, I ate a Roma tomato, and it was tough. It looked perfect though, ALSO, Can anything be done with over long okra? Other than throwing it to the hogs lol

[MariaAZ]

My mother used to make a sweet pickle relish made from over-ripe Armenian cucumbers, it was delicious. I don't have the recipe but know it is in The Joy of Cooking.

As for tomatoes; my favorite way of dealing with a quantity of them is to peel them, chop 'em up and simmer until cooked and reduced a bit, then freeze and use whenever a recipe calls for chopped canned tomatoes.

[fin29]

Roma tomatoes are paste tomatoes, unlike a Beefsteak or other slicing tomato. Romas are best suited for cooked applications, like Maria suggested. Their peels are leathery to make them better for shipping and their water content is lower, making them seem tough.

[Windy in Kansas]

Perhaps simplest to peel the Romas. Cut a small X on the end and dip into boiling water for a few seconds. Not sure just how long will be needed to loosen the skins for easy peeling. Shouldn't be in long enough to heat the tomato much.

Unless you are into pickling the large yellowing cukes are not much good. Perhaps you could batter and fry them. Cinnamon pickles use the overripe ones.

[onthespot]

you can dice them up small with the skins still on, maybe a dozen of the tomatos. Then dice up one of those cucumbers same size, seeds and all. Peel it first. Dice up a medium onion, all of this raw now... mix it in with the tomatos and cucumber. Squeeze a half a dozen or more large limes and maybe a lemon over it and add a generous fistuful of chopped cilantro. Cut a jalapeno pepper lengthwise, take out the seeds if you are a lightweight, leave them in if you like extra fire in your food. Dice it up really fine and put that in too. then shred up some raw shrimp or fish or both, or phoney crab meat, or real crab meat and mix that in. You can also add an avocado if it is firm and newly ripe. Pass if it is gives when you squeeze it from the outside. Sprinkle liberally with Lawry's season salt, black pepper and a couple Tablespoons of something like Tapatio hot sauce. LIGHTLY sprinkle with ground cumin and oregano. Let set in the fridge for a couple hours. pull it out on a hot afternoon and scoop it up and eat it with corn chips and wash it down with an ice cold beer. Or give it to the mexicans. They will do the same thing I just told you.

edit to add about the cumin and oregano. sorry, it's late.

[Cascade Failure]

Smack'em around a bit. Force is all they understand and respect.

[nehimama]

Slice and dehydrate. Use as food supplements or treats for the chickens this coming winter.

NeHi

[MaKettle]

Next year plant Amish Paste Tomatoes. They are so-o-o superior to bland, tough-skinned Roma's.

[EasyDay]

Romas are good for sauce, as well as paste. They contain much more meat, and less water and seeds. Drop them in boiling water for just a couple of minutes until the skin splits. Then, put them in cold water until they're cooled... this will stop the cooking process. They're super easy to peel. We usually core them (stem end only) and put them in ziploc bags and freeze them. They're ready when we are for our homemade Italian sauces.

[GrannyG]

Those older cucumbers make the best spiced pickles. We always made them into rings cutting out the center (seeds) and they were such a favorite during the winter months.

CINNAMON RED HOT CUCUMBER PICKLES

7 lbs. large cucumbers
1 cup lime
1 cup vinegar
Red food coloring
1 TBSP Alum
2 cups vinegar
10 cups sugar
8 cinnamon sticks
1 small package of Red Hots (Brach's Imperials are best)

Peel, seed, and slice cucumbers. Soak in 1 cup lime and 1 gallon water for 24 hours.Drain well and wash several times with clear water.
Wash, soak, covered with ice water for 3 hours.Drain.
Mix 1 cup vinegar, 1 bottle red food coloring, alum, and water to cover. Pour over the cucumbers and simmer for 2 hours.Pour off.
Bring to a boil, 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water, 10 cups sugar, cinnamon sticks, and red hots. Pour over cucumbers and let stand 24 hours. Pour off syrup and bring to a boil, pour over cucumbers in jars and seal. I waterbath mine.
This recipe is great for those big cucumbers that you can't do anything else with. They are pretty in rings, or they can be made into spears. I do mine in big crocks. I have been lucky to find old crocks around here at auctions. At Christmas, cut material into circles, pink the edges, put on jar with ring, tie ribbons on bottle.
Makes nice gifts.