These are taken from The Shaker Cookbook by Caroline B. Piercy A few more details might be nice (like a temp and time for the custard....) but they are unusual and interesting. Seems like everyone is up to their ears in tomatoes, so try some of these!
TOMATO FIGS
8 pounds small, firm ripe tomatoes
2 pounds brown sugar
Scald tomatoes and remove skins. Cover with sugar and let stand 2 hours. Then simmer in their own juice until tomatoes are clarified. Do not stir or break tomatoes. Remove tomatoes from kettle and place on flat platter and gradually flatten by placing a heavy platter on top. Weigh down slightly. Remove platter and cover with syrup in which tomatoes were cooked. Cover with cheesecloth and let set several days. Sprinkle every morning with fine sugar and set in sun. At end of week sprinkle with sugar and pack in flat boxes. These are very delicious and taste almost like the best quality of figs. They keep well for a year.
GREEN TOMATO PRESERVES
12 medium sized green tomatoes
3 Tbsp. salt
2 lemons, sliced fine
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. powdered cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
Cube tomatoes and sprinkle well with salt; let stand overnight. Rinse and drain thoroughly and add lemons sliced as thin as paper. Add brown sugar and spices. Simmer for 2 hours. If you happen to have oil of spices in these particular flavors, use small quantities of the oil instead of the powdered spice, for this will give you a crystal-clear preserve. Seal in jars.
SHAKER TOMATO JAM
4 pounds ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
16 cups sugar
4 large oranges
8 lemons
3 sticks cinnamon
Scald tomatoes to remove skins, and chop fine. Add sugar, the juice and grated rind of oranges and lemons and cinnamon and cook until it jells on spoon. Skim, pour and seal. This makes a most appetizing, shocking pink confection.
TOMATO CUSTARD
4 pounds ripe tomatoes
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Stew tomatoes in own juice (no water used) and pass through sieve. Cool and add to beaten eggs, milk and seasoning. Bake in buttered custard cups. Serves 6.
