Do green tomatoes taste like red ones?

No they do not taste the same. Yes it matters. Its kinda like the difference between black olives and green olives.

Well when you fry them it’s hard to tell much of a difference except in the sugar content. The red ones are sweeter, but the green ones hold up better when fried.

No, they don’t taste the same. Red and green tomatoes can be the same variety, but red ones are ripe, while green ones are unripe.

I would disagree that they taste the same when fried. The difference isn’t as noticeable as when they’re raw, but I still definitely taste a difference.

@La_chica_gomela
Yes you’re right now that I think of it. The texture is firmer on the green ones too.

Unripe tomatoes on the vine are green. Left to ripen, they will turn red and become softer, juicier, and much more tasty. Is there any such thing as a tomato that’s green when ripe (as a Pippin or Granny Smith apple is green when ripe)?

I look forward to the end of tomato season each year, so I can pick the green tomatoes that won’t have time to ripen and make Green Tomato Cake with Brown Butter Icing. It’s my all-time favorite cake. My kids think it has apples in it. (I leave out the nuts.)

@Jeruba: Yes, there are tomatoes that are green when ripe. There are also tomatoes that are purple, black, red, yellow, and orange. I ordered a package of seeds for a green variety this year, just because the concept of a ripe, green tomato was so weird. I don’t know how I’ll be able to tell when they’re ready to pick though.

Squeezability?

Also the stems of ripe tomatoes break easily off the branch. And they have a certain heft. You’ll know. Let us know how they taste, won’t you?

@MissAusten I love finding new recipes. Thanx.

You probably won’t get as much Lycopene with green ones, not sure. If you are saying the tomato is actually green when fully ripe then it’s probably a genetically engineered creation.
I have hard time growing heirlooms, but they always win the taste test for me; then the lemon varieties-awesome in taste and hardiness.

@Garebo: No, they’re not genetically modified. I ordered them from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds— everything they sell is heirloom and tests negative for GMOs.

@Jeruba: That’s right. They do fall off the vine if you just touch them when they’re ripe. It’ll be a few months before I’ll be able to, but if I remember I certainly will come back here and let you know.

Awesome, what’s GMO’s?
I love trying bizarre veggies, yellow and black tomatos, problem is I always have to be super careful with these types of tomato’s to survive in our northern humidity, and I only grow organicaly, which makes it very hard. For the ease and simplicity of it, I prefer growing the “Celebrity” and other “VFN” varieties- geneic aberrant varieties since they grow well here; but, they don’t come close to heirlooms in taste. I love heirlooms, they usually produce just enough fruit for me, but the plant is always being consumed by disease, and never grow to its full potential.
For Minnesota, I can get some 6 feet tall, but they be dying all the same.

@Garebo GMO = Genetically Modified Organism. Gross!