Aside from masquerading as the title of a 1987 novel that was shortly thereafter made into popular Oscar-nominated 90s film, what exactly is the deal with fried green tomatoes? Usually when we see the color green as it relates to fruit (because yes, tomatoes are fruits not veggies), it signifies that it's unripe. But with green tomatoes, that actually isn't always the case. According to Lenoir County Center's site on agriculture and food , there can be both unripe red tomatoes that are green as well as ripe green tomatoes; "Tomatoes that are green when ripe (real green tomatoes) often have vertical stripes or other variations in the coloring, will feel soft when pressed, and will taste much like a red tomato, possibly slightly sweet or spicy depending on the variety. Unripe (red) tomatoes will be pale green all over, feel nearly solid and will have a more acidic or tart flavor."