During the summer I was exploring green tomatoes and while I was researching them I came across the concept of pickled green tomatoes. I had never even heard of pickled green tomatoes before but since I really like cucumber pickles and I had recently discovered that I liked green tomatoes I just had to try making some. After a bit of searching I found this recipe for pickled green tomatoes on about.com: American Food that sounded like a good place to start. The pickled green tomatoes were super easy to make, though I did have to wait several months before I could even try them. (Hence the delay in posting until long after green tomato season.) That long wait was certainly worth it though! The pickled green tomatoes turned out really well! They are nice tangy and extra crunchy with a touch of heat and an exotic blend of spices. I made half of the pickles in wedges for snacking and I sliced the other half for use in sandwiches. What is your favorite way of enjoying pickled green tomatoes?
Pickled Green Tomatoes
ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound green tomatoes (quartered and/or sliced)
- 1 quarts worth of canning jars (sterilized*)
directions
- Bring everything but the tomatoes to a boil for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stuff the tomatoes in the the jar(s).
- Pour the liquid over the tomatoes making sure to cover them.
- Put the lids on and give them a good shake to make that all of the air bubbles come out to the top.
- Store in the fridge for 3 months.
- * To sterilize the jars:
- Wash in hot soapy water.
- Keep the lids in boiling water until ready to use.
- Place jars in 225F/110C oven for 10 minutes and keep warm until ready to use.
Pastafaryan says
February 13, 2010 at 1:44 amThis is my favourite kind of pickles. But in my country, we pickle them without slicing. Then, we slice them right before we eat. But I'm sure they taste great in this way, too.
I love your recipes, keep it up!
🙂
Sook says
February 13, 2010 at 2:41 amWow, I've never tried these before. I wonder what that tastes like.
Pam says
February 13, 2010 at 2:48 amDon't you love opening up a jar of something that you canned in the summer?!
Kristina says
February 13, 2010 at 2:50 amMy mom used to pickle green tomatoes with onions, cabbage and cucumbers in the same jar. I loved it!
Julie says
February 13, 2010 at 3:32 amThis sing to my very soul! Back home they served pickled green tomatoes at one of my favorite catfish places, and I loved them so much. Hush puppies are awfully good with a little bit of pickled tomato juice on them 🙂
Mona says
February 13, 2010 at 4:38 amKevin, I just a few minutes going through some of your latest posts that I wasn't able to go through recently, and OMG, you made my mouth water! They all look and sound super yumm!
All Our Fingers in the Pie says
February 13, 2010 at 5:27 amI really got to like green tomatoes while I was in Tennessee. I made green tomato relish but this is something new. Thank you.
Claudia says
February 13, 2010 at 6:50 amGreat, now I know what I will do next summer with part of my tomatoes. They seem to ripen always at the same time.
Nina's Recipes says
February 13, 2010 at 10:07 amKevin, it's funny and sad in the same time; you had to wait 3 months to enjoy the pickled tomatoes!? wow…next time DO NOT STORE THE JARS IN THE FRIDGE FOR THREE MONTHS! Keep them on the kitchen counter or out side (in summer time) and you can eat them in less then 10 days! Refrigerate after you open the jar.
Trust me and good luck! 🙂
p.s the recipe sounds similar like mine, minus cinnamon!
janelle says
February 13, 2010 at 1:10 pmI love that you made pickled green tomats! You seem to be brave in facing jams, chutneys, pickles and the like. That is quite fantastic; I hope to work my way towards more of the same!
Joanne says
February 13, 2010 at 1:14 pmThese are so cool! I really adore pickles and absolutely know I would love these. Except for the waiting part. I'm not exactly the most patient person…at least not when it comes to good food.
moishe says
February 13, 2010 at 2:21 pmGotta pickle them whole and eat with a pastrami sandwich and a Cel-ray soda. That was what you found in ye old NY Jewish delis. I have a jar of them in my refrigerator. By Ba-Tempte
If you like cuke pickles you have to try these. Cukes have their place but I like these better
Cara says
February 13, 2010 at 2:41 pmpickled green tomatoes are one of my husband's favorite things! But Kevin, how dare you tease us with this recipe we need to wait months to even attempt!
Ed Schenk says
February 13, 2010 at 3:46 pmI have only pickled cucumbers. I'll have to try this!
ajam00 says
February 13, 2010 at 6:31 pmMy Mom use to pickle EVERYTHING. However, pickled green tomatoes is one of my favorite childhood memories. It's funny, she and I were talking about her pickled tomatoes last week. I hope to make some this summer. Thanks for the post.
Jackie at PhamFatale.com says
February 15, 2010 at 11:19 pmI've never had pickled tomatoes. Can you make the same kind of pickles using tomatillos? I'm usually not so creative with the tomtatoes I grow during the summer and make salsa and salads :-/
Crystal says
February 16, 2010 at 3:31 amI was just introduced to pickled green tomatoes this summer and I love them. The ones I have are pickled with some sort of red peppers and a little bit spicy, but super good. I love them 🙂
Love your blog…getting ready to try the cauliflower soup (wondering if I could use a different kind of cheese, my kids don't like Parmesan).
Kevin says
February 18, 2010 at 11:48 amCrystal: I think that the cauliflower soup would also be really nice with some good parmesan.
Jeanne @ CookSister! says
February 23, 2010 at 12:43 pmThis is another one that hubby would love – he is a sucker for anything pickled 🙂
Lexi says
August 7, 2010 at 4:20 pmI was looking through your ingredients and was confused by one, maybe you could help? You put just "6 cloves"….of what?? You have 2 cloves of garlic on there as well so it's not that…
Lexi says
August 7, 2010 at 6:26 pmNever mind my previous question…I just realized you meant whole black cloves.
Joy says
August 23, 2010 at 4:29 pmI don't understand why you have to store them in the fridge if you've sealed them? I know you have to after you've opened the jar.. but before???
Kevin says
August 27, 2010 at 12:25 pmJoy: Sorry about the confusion, if you properly sterilize the jars then you don't need to store them in the fridge but if you skip the sterilization then you will want to store them in the fridge.
Mihaela says
September 10, 2010 at 4:15 amHi, I'm Romanian and we eat a lot a pickled green tomatoes in Romania. Last year I made a lot of them, and I still have some, so I was thinking this fall to mix them with some cauliflower, carrots, peppers… I'll post it on my blog when I'll make it, I have to get to the farm first 🙂 BTW I like your blog 🙂
serenad33 says
September 30, 2010 at 11:22 pmHow do you tell if the tomatoes have spoiled? The liquid in my jars is cloudy and I am afraid to try them. Tips please on telling if your canned food is spoiled!
Kevin says
October 14, 2010 at 11:15 amserenad33: I am not an expert but I would say that if the pickles look or smell funny that I would not eat them. It is better to play it on the safe side.
espresso style says
February 23, 2011 at 4:42 pmHey, did you know that in Romania (i live there) pickled green tomatoes are a standard pickle (like cucumbers)? yes, it's true. people make them at home in the fall in large plastic barrels and eat them all winter long. cheers!
Judy Goldin says
September 8, 2013 at 10:11 pmThey also pickle the rinds of water melon right Romanian friends.
Are green tomatoes ordinary tomatoes but still green?
kevin says
September 9, 2013 at 9:25 amJudy Goldin: Yes green tomatoes are just unripened tomatoes. Around here we usually only see the ripe red tomatoes until late fall when the farmers pick them while still green so that they do not loose them to the colder weather.
James Rancourt says
September 17, 2016 at 6:13 pmHi Kevin,
Here is a recipe for my Gram's Sliced Green Tomato Pickles. This is a true "old Fashioned Recipe". Give it a try and let me know what you think. 🙂
Gram Little’s Sliced Green Tomato Pickles
By: Jim Rancourt (aka OwlOak)
The nice thing about this recipe is that “the amounts are approximations” and not cast in stone, and that it can easily be scaled up or down depending on the amounts of produce and spices you have on hand. Gram was of the old school of cooking where she would say some of this and some of that and if she was short, or long, on one or more of them she put in what she had. Now, I’ll admit that no two batches ever turned out exactly the same. But, I will solemnly swear that each and every one was delicious.
Ingredients:
4 lbs. Green Tomatoes – washed and stem ends removed*
6 Large Yellow Onions – peeled
½ Cup Salt
6 Cups White Vinegar
6 Green Peppers – seeded and diced into ½ in. pieces
3 Sweet Red Peppers – seeded and diced into ½ in. pieces
1 TBS. Mustard Powder
1 TBS. Whole Cloves
1 Stick Cinnamon – broken into pieces
1 TBS. Powdered Ginger
½ TBS. Celery Seed
4 1/2 Cups White Sugar, or 2 ÂĽ Cups Honey **
6-1 Pint or 3-1 Quart canning jars, lids, and locking rings – sterilized
Cheesecloth and thread, or string
1 very large enamel or stainless steel pot with lid. (I use my enameled water bath canning pot because I usually double or triple the batch)
Directions:
Slice the tomatoes and onions into rounds about 1/8 inch thick. I use a mandolin – that’s the flat surfaced slicer with adjustable blades that almost everyone has and almost never uses. J
Combine the tomatoes and onions in the pot and sprinkle with the salt and mix well. Let stand overnight, then drain and rinse the mixture to remove the salt.
Make a spice bag with the whole cloves and the cinnamon.
Place the vinegar, sugar, mustard powder, ginger, and celery seed in a large enamel or stainless steel pot and heat to boiling. When the sugar has dissolved add the diced red and green peppers. Then add the tomatoes and onions and reduce to a simmer.
Place the spice bag in the pot, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are transparent, being sure to stir the mixture frequently to insure that all is cooked and doesn’t burn.
Turn off the heat, remove the spice bag and transfer the hot mixture to the sterilized jars leaving ½ inch headspace and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for the pints, and 15 minutes for the quarts.
Any extra can be either processed or chilled in the fridge for an early taste of what’s on the shelf keeping in mind that, as with all pickles, the longer they sit the better they taste.
* The measurement is not critical. I usually figure about 1 pound of tomatoes per pint, and double that for quarts.
** When using Honey a couple of things need to be remembered. Honey is much sweeter than sugar so use ½ as much honey as you would sugar. And, that the sugar in honey breaks down very quickly from high heat and causes a brown discoloring so add the honey as the very last step by stirring it into the mixture just before transferring the mixture to the jars.