Until the 1987 publication of Fannie Flagg’s novel “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe” and its reincarnation as a movie four years later, many Northerners had never considered an unripened, end-of-the-season tomato to be edible.

The “Fried Green Tomatoes” phenomenon, which was rooted in a feel-good storyline that united women across lines of race and class, put everyday Southern cooking on the culinary radar screen north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Flagg gave this movement an additional boost with the publication in 1995 of the “Whistlestop Cafe Cookbook.”

Flagg’s novel, screenplay and cookbook established Southern cuisine as the ultimate comfort food and, in the process, nurtured the idea that deep-fat frying may be bad for the cholesterol level but good for the soul.

We Yankees now know what you’re supposed to do with a green tomato because Flagg appealed to a broader and less pretentious audience than had Mississippian Craig Claiborne, the previous standard bearer of Southern cuisine. Claiborne, who had authored “The New York Times Cook Book,” was a bit too gentrified to be a convincing advocate for ham hocks and chitlins.

I thought about this the other day as I toted a sack of green tomatoes back to the house. For the most part, what to do with the last tomatoes before frost is really a dilemma only for gardeners, and the prevalence of home gardens in the rural South undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of breaded-and-fried green tomatoes.

Frying isn’t the only option for green tomatoes, however. I have found scads of chutney recipes, and the following is the one that appeals most to me. The apples and spices seem very appropriate for the fall. I envision this served as a condiment for chicken or pork, or maybe with cheese. The recipe is from Renee Shepherd and Fran Raboff’s “Recipes from a Kitchen Garden.”

Green Tomato and Apple Chutney

5 cups chopped green tomatoes

3 cups peeled, cored and coarsely chopped apples (Pippins or Granny Smiths preferred)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup mild white or rice vinegar

In a large 4- or 5-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Cool, then store in glass jars in the refrigerator or, if the chutney will be stored at room temperature, seal the jars and process in a hot-water bath for 10 minutes for half-pints and 15 minutes for pints. Let the chutney mellow for a few days before serving.

Makes about 5 cups.