Polly Esther > wrote:

> Red. Juicy. Ripe. Yes. They are but oh my goodness how just absolutely
> pitifully Nothing about taste and flavor. For tomorrow's green salad, I
> want to add some tomatoes and am wondering if I slice them and let them sort
> of marinate in something, could I improve their flavor? Lemon juice, one
> vinegar or another, anything? Mom used to let cucumbers sit/set awhile in
> just plain old white vinegar and that was a nice kick. I'm at a loss as to
> what would help these dismal tomatoes. Polly

You could pickle/ferment them like sour or half-sour cucumbers but they
won't be ready for tomorrow's salad - they'll need 3 weeks to a month.
Also, it is better to use not quite ripe, green even, specimens, or, in
any case, not too large, firm ones, or else they'll be falling apart,
once pickled.

Here is a recipe of sorts:

4 pounds tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
3-4 oak leaves
flowering dill
salt (1 tablespoon per 1 quart water)

Rinse the tomatoes and fill glass jars tightly with them. Add the
rinsed oak leaves and the peeled garlic cloves. Boil water, dissolve
the salt in it and pour in jars, filling them. Put the dill on top and
cover the jars loosely. After a week or so, seal the jars hermetically
and refrigerate. Tomatoes will be ready in 3-4 weeks, in all.