Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe (2024)

By Martha Rose Shulman

Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
The pickled tomatoes will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
Rating
4(187)
Notes
Read community notes

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe in Fred Dubose’s wonderful cookbook from a bygone era, “Four Great Southern Cooks.” It is sort of a cross between a pickle and a relish. Do not worry about the salt; most of it will go out when the tomatoes are drained.

Featured in: How to Make Pickles Without Canning

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Ingredients

Yield:4 pints

  • 2pounds green tomatoes, sliced
  • cup kosher salt
  • cups cider vinegar
  • cup raw brown sugar
  • 3tablespoons whole mustard seeds
  • ¼teaspoon celery seeds
  • teaspoons turmeric
  • 2large yellow onions, sliced
  • 2large green peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1 to 2hot red or green chiles (such as a Serrano or jalapeño), seeded if desired and minced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

247 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 1245 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Discard stem and blossom ends of tomatoes and place on a rack over a baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with salt and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours or overnight. Place in a colander and drain for another 30 minutes.

  2. Step

    2

    Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and turmeric in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, peppers and chiles, stir together and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

  3. Step

    3

    Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Seal and allow cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 weeks before serving.

Tip

  • To sterilize jars, submerge in a pot of water, either with a rack or a towel on the bottom (I used a pasta pot with an insert), bring to a boil and boil 5 to 10 minutes. Using jar grips, carefully remove from hot water bath, tip out water, and place on a towel.

Ratings

4

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187

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

HF

Shouldn't the high acid though make it safe for canning? Would be great to put away and save refrigerator space

Susan from Ohio

I’ve been canning for 45 years. High acid = safe for water bath canner, cooked or not. The water bath canner kills the germs sufficiently. It should go into hot sterile jars and be HOT but doesn’t need thorough cooking. Low acid food (like green beans and mushrooms) must be canned using a pressure cooker to kill botulism. Instant pots don’t count for that. Maybe NYT needs some videos on basic canning. Refer to Ball Blue Book, the canning bible, for times in the canner.

Bahram Keramati

I used half the sugar (1/3 cup), just 1 large yellow onion and 1 large green pepper. Instead, I used about 0.75 lb more tomatoes (because I just had them from my garden). I also used 2 Serrano peppers). It tastes wonderful!

Michele B.

Okay, I've made this over a half dozen times now and I have opinions. I now omit all the funny business with step 1 and just put 1 1/2 Tbl pickling salt per batch in with the vinegar. I add one cup of water to the vinegar and cut back a bit on the mustard seeds and half the sugar. I prefer red and yellow peppers. I put a large crushed garlic clove in the bottom of each jar and then process in a water bath for 10 minutes. This is crazy good. Magic with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Marjorie Och

This is excellent. I had lots of green cherry tomatoes in my garden back in October, and found this recipe. I halved the tomatoes then followed recipe...with the additional substition of yellow peppers for the green for color. Left jars refrigerated until Thanksgiving...when we enjoyed this with a non-canonical meal of oysters and crab cakes. Delicious...and will make again at the end of next year's tomato season.

F. Horn

What is the purpose of Step 1? Does it help remove solanine, a poisonous substance found in green tomatoes, or just the amount of liquid in them? I skipped that step, and reduced the sugar by half, per one reviewer's recommendation, but ended up with a very bitter batch! Maybe my tomatoes were TOO green? Will follow the recipe exactly next time (next year).

Arsenic and Rosemary

I used Datil peppers for a smoother, sweeter spice and it worked perfectly. Tonight I served this, charcuterie style, with fried saltine crackers, sharp cheddar cheese, tomato jelly, and raspberry preserves. The combinations complemented each other and my favorite dark beer nicely. I found both the fried saltine recipe, and the tomato jelly recipe on this app.

Beth

Looking forward to trying this. The canning “note” at the end is not complete. If you want to preserve, consult a fully authoritative source like Greene et al.’s “Putting Food By”. Nothing wrong with what they write here, just not complete and it’s botulism if you get it wrong.

Michele B.

Okay, I've made this over a half dozen times now and I have opinions. I now omit all the funny business with step 1 and just put 1 1/2 Tbl pickling salt per batch in with the vinegar. I add one cup of water to the vinegar and cut back a bit on the mustard seeds and half the sugar. I prefer red and yellow peppers. I put a large crushed garlic clove in the bottom of each jar and then process in a water bath for 10 minutes. This is crazy good. Magic with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Shari

Made with both (green (brown mini pear tomatoes) and (brown larger tomatoes)). Do not like green pepper, used split tiny carrots and cross-polinated jalepeno/serrano peppers from garden, sliced in thin rounds. Half black, half yellow mustard seeds. Tastes great, crunchy, very pretty! Improves w/ time.

Shari

Did this w/ green round tomatoes and green little pear tomatoes, both the brown kind. One onion, two shallots. Tiny carrots, Ohio serranos unseeded (12) from my garden, which for whatever reason are not as hot as they are smokey. No green peppers. Not enough cider vinegar, so 1/3 of what's required was white wine vinegar. Half yellow, half black mustard seed, scanting because the black is supposedly hotter. I recommend boiling an extra jar in case you end up w/ more that you were expecting

susanna B

Too much mustard seed I fear. I only just made the pickle so it hasn’t matured. But it trying the leftovers there is a strong metallic taste - mustard seed? Also it’s not clear that you use all the salt on the tomato slices overnight? So I added some salt to simmering mixture

Susan from Ohio

I’ve been canning for 45 years. High acid = safe for water bath canner, cooked or not. The water bath canner kills the germs sufficiently. It should go into hot sterile jars and be HOT but doesn’t need thorough cooking. Low acid food (like green beans and mushrooms) must be canned using a pressure cooker to kill botulism. Instant pots don’t count for that. Maybe NYT needs some videos on basic canning. Refer to Ball Blue Book, the canning bible, for times in the canner.

Peggy Sue

What is "raw brown sugar" can you use regular brown sugar?

Janet

My great grandmother’s recipe is similar to this, except she also used cauliflower florets and red pepper strips to add color. She hot water canned the dozen or so bottles she made and stored them in the basem*nt. We had this delicious relish with roasted meats, or as a side with a sandwich for lunch for almost the entire year.

Sally

I made these last fall and used roma tomatoes, sliced 3/8" thick. Rather than the spices listed, I used the same quantity of mixed pickling spice and a sliced jalapeno per jar with the other vegetables. Delicious pickles! They remind me of old-fashioned bread and butter sweets.

Anika

I made this in the fall last year and just opened a jar as I was looking for something to accompany my cheese sandwich. Good lord, this is delicious!!

Marjorie Och

This is excellent. I had lots of green cherry tomatoes in my garden back in October, and found this recipe. I halved the tomatoes then followed recipe...with the additional substition of yellow peppers for the green for color. Left jars refrigerated until Thanksgiving...when we enjoyed this with a non-canonical meal of oysters and crab cakes. Delicious...and will make again at the end of next year's tomato season.

Candace Wood

I made this last night. Looks wonderful. I can't wait for 2 weeks to get here! Do I have to keep them in the refrigerator since I canned them?

Lex

has anyone hot water bath canned these?

Susan

I wouldn't have even considered it as this recipe is so high acid.

HF

Shouldn't the high acid though make it safe for canning? Would be great to put away and save refrigerator space

Tricia

I wouldn't can with hot water bath and store outside the fridge since the tomatoes aren't completely cooked.

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Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to preserve green tomatoes? ›

Peel and core green tomatoes and chop in cubes ½ -inch or less in size. Drain. Dry in food dehydrator at 140°F. When perfectly dry, store in glass jars or freeze.

Why are my pickled green tomatoes mushy? ›

For this recipe, be sure to use unripe tomatoes, which stand up well to the pickling process. If growing your own, note that tomatoes picked after the first frost may be mushy, even if they look firm and green on the outside.

Why are my pickled green tomatoes bitter? ›

Maybe the green tomatoes you eat aren't all that underripe? If they were, you'd probably know. If you need to spice and pickle the tomatoes to make them taste good, then they're not ripe enough—solanine makes them taste bitter and horrible.

How long can pickled tomatoes last? ›

Add the cherry tomatoes and pour over the hot vinegar mixture. Screw a top on the mason jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles will last up to 2 weeks refrigerated.

What should I do with all my green tomatoes? ›

Don't let your unripe tomatoes go to waste — tart green tomatoes are a true delight. Whether you fry them, bake them or slice them up for salads and sandwiches, they're always sure to please.

How to can green tomatoes in a jar? ›

Cut tomatoes to desired size. Fill in pint jars to 3/4-1/2 inch head space. Add 1/2 teaspoon canning salt per pint jar (1 teaspoon for quart jars). Top of with boiling water to 1/2 inch head space being sure to release bubbles, and readjust head space if necessary.

Is it safe to eat pickled green tomatoes? ›

Yes, you can eat pickled green tomatoes. They are a great way to use up green tomatoes that are starting to ripen and get too sweet to eat fresh. And they're also a good way to add some extra tartness and flavor to dishes. Pickling is a process of preserving food by either immersing it in brine (salt water) or vinegar.

Can pickled tomatoes go bad? ›

Pickled fruits and vegetables can go bad if the jars are inproperly sealed, if the ratios of vinegar or salt in a brine are off, or if the pickles are exposed to air because there isn't enough brine in the jar, or they aren't weighted down.

What are the best tomatoes for pickling? ›

Best Types of Paste Tomatoes for Canning

Plum tomatoes like Roma, Amish paste, or San Marzano are both good choices. San Marzano has only two seed chambers, and both San Marzano and Amish Paste are less acidic than Romas which makes them a sweeter choice.

Is it safe to eat raw green tomatoes? ›

Shall we eat green tomatoes raw or cooked? Green tomatoes preferably shall be cooked before eating them. They have a higher content in “Solanina”. This substance is a natural fungicide or pesticide that the tomato plants contain in order to avoid other organism or animals to consume it.

Why do my homemade pickles taste like vinegar? ›

Fermentation: The sour taste of pickles comes from the process of fermentation. During fermentation, naturally occurring bacteria (usually Lactobacillus) on the cucumbers consume the sugars present in them and convert them into lactic acid.

How do you reduce bitterness in tomato pickles? ›

Easy Ways to Reduce Bitter Taste in Any Food
  1. 1 Balance out bitterness with some fat.
  2. 2 Cover the flavor with sweetness.
  3. 3 Sprinkle some salt over your food.
  4. 4 Try a pinch of baking soda.
  5. 5 Squeeze in some vinegar or lemon juice.
  6. 6 Add some spice to your foods.
  7. 7 Cook with herbs to cut through the bitter taste.

How do you know if pickled has gone bad? ›

Visible mold: This is an obvious sign that your pickles have gone bad. Unusually sour taste and smell: If things smell and taste a bit more sour than usual, in an unpleasant way, this may not be a good sign. If you're not liking the taste anyway, it may be time to toss those pickles.

How long do tomatoes last in mason jars? ›

High acid foods such as tomatoes and other fruit will keep their best quality up to 18 months; low acid foods such as meat and vegetables, 2 to 5 years. While extremely rare, a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is the worst danger in canned goods.

What do you eat pickled tomatoes with? ›

Quick pickled cherry tomatoes have a delicious, bright and zingy flavor plus garlic and ginger! A hot brine is used to pickle them, and they're stored in the refrigerator. Eat them in a variety of ways like added to a salad, polenta, pasta, on toast, or a cheese board.

How do you store green tomatoes long term? ›

Keep unripe green tomatoes stem side down, in a paper bag or in a cardboard box in a single layer. Place in a cool area until they turn red in color. Perfectly ripe tomatoes should be kept at room temperature on the counter away from sunlight.

What can you do with green tomatoes that have not ripened? ›

Here are just some ideas of what to do with green tomatoes:
  1. Green tomato chutney.
  2. Fried green tomatoes.
  3. Pickled green tomatoes.
  4. Curried green tomatoes.
  5. Air fried green tomatoes.
  6. Roasted green tomatoes.
  7. Green tomato chilli.
  8. Green tomato salad.
Mar 1, 2022

What is the easiest way to preserve fresh tomatoes? ›

To successfully freeze fresh raw tomatoes, you can: Slice tomatoes into at least 1/2-inch slices. Put slices on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Remove slices and put them into freezer bags or containers.

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