Name: Pickled Green Tomatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 pounds green tomatoes; 12 garlic cloves; 6 dry cayenne peppers; 1 teaspoon pickling mix per jar; 5 cups white vinegar; 5 cups water; 1/3 cup Kosher salt

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Pickled green tomatoes are tangy, delicious, and easy to make. A great way to preserve the last unripe tomatoes from the garden.

pickled green tomatoes before processing

Lady Lee’s Note…

Green tomatoes are one of those garden treasures that most people never see at the grocery store. If you grow tomatoes, however, you’ll likely end up with a few throughout the season before they ripen. Instead of waiting for them to turn red, try pickling them. Pickled green tomatoes are crisp, tangy, easy to make, and a wonderful way to enjoy a unique harvest that many people never get the chance to taste.

Ingredients…

Green tomatoes – fully green, firm, unripe tomatoes. The variety doesn’t matter.
Garlic cloves
Pickling spice
Dry, hot peppers
White vinegar (5% acidity)
Water
Canning salt

Step-By-Step Instructions…

Step one – prep the tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes well with cold water and remove the stems. Then, half the tomatoes and slice them into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Step two – pack the jars. Wash the jars well with hot water and dish soap. Pack the jars with the tomatoes, garlic, and hot pepper. Then add the pickling spice on top of the vegetables.

Step three – add brine. In a saucepan, bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. Use a ladle or a measuring cup to help you add the hot pickling brine over the vegetables. Make sure to leave about 1/2 inch of headspace. Use the bubble remover to remove air bubbles, then use a damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before closing the jars with the two-piece lid.

Storing in the fridge – pickled green tomatoes will last a few months in the fridge, so feel free to skip the canning part if you have enough fridge space and just store your jars in the fridge (use a plastic lid if you do that). Make sure to use a clean fork or spoon every time you grab tomatoes from the jar.

Canning Pickled Green Tomatoes…

processing pickled green tomatoes in the water bath canner

Step four – processing in the water bath. Fill the water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring it to a boil. Since this can take some time, it’s best to start heating the water while you prepare the tomatoes and jars. Once the jars are filled and sealed, place them on the canner rack and carefully lower the rack into the boiling water. Make sure the jars remain covered by at least 1 inch of water. Return the water to a full boil, cover the canner, and process the jars for 15 minutes.

water bath canner adjustment table — Always remember to adjust processing time according to the table above if you live higher than 1000 feet in elevation.

Once processing time has passed, turn off the heat and uncover the pot. Let the jars rest in the hot water for five minutes. Use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the pot and set them on a kitchen towel on the counter or on a wooden cutting board to cool, undisturbed, overnight. You should hear the “pop” that indicates that the jars have been sealed as the jars cool.

How to Store…

When the jars have all cooled to room temperature, check that they have sealed by pressing the center of each lid. If there is no movement there it means that the jars are sealed. If a jar didn’t seal properly, store it in the fridge and use it first.

Wipe the jars and remove the metal band. It sometimes rusts in storage and makes it hard to open the jar down the road, and you can also reuse it to can something else. Store the jars at room temperature in your pantry, on a shelf, or in a kitchen cabinet. Sealed jars should last up to 18 months.

Serving Suggestions…

As a snack – pickled green tomatoes are tangy and delicious. I love scooping a few tomatoes into a bowl and snacking on them. It’s so much better than reaching for chips.
As a side – pickled green tomatoes are a great side for an easy sandwich lunch. Add them as a side to a burger instead of the fries, add them as a side to a meat wrap, or a BBQ sandwich or any other.
Add them as a side to this Mediterranean zucchini casserole, or serve them with zucchini and corn fritters for a simple vegetarian lunch or breakfast.
Throw them in salads – they are a delicious, salty addition to any salad. I sometimes add them to my favorite Mediterranean egg salad or a classic Israeli salad.

Kitchen Notes…

Feel free to use other types of vinegar (like apple cider vinegar, for example). Just make sure that yoou use vinegar with 5% acidity.
Season your pickled green tomatoes however you want! Anything goes. Just mustard seeds, or pepper corns. Jalapenos, cayenne, dry herbs (or fresh herbs), there are so many options.
There is no need to pressure can these. The vinegar adds enough acidity that it’s safe to process the jars in the water bath canner.
When preserving food, remember to use non-iodized salt like Kosher, Sea, or canning salt.
For smaller batches, use this brine recipe: 3.5 cups 5% vinegar, 3.5 cups water, ¼ cup non-iodized salt.

Pickled green tomatoes are tangy, crisp, and absolutely delicious! I hope you’ll give them a try. They’re a wonderful pantry staple, a flavorful addition to many dishes, and one of the best ways to preserve green tomatoes from the garden. Even if your tomatoes don’t have a chance to ripen fully, you can still turn them into something delicious and enjoy your harvest for months to come.

Other Ways to Preserve Tomatoes…