This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.

Here are all our favorite green tomato recipes for how to use this tart and tasty bright green vegetable (er…fruit). Pick from green tomato pickles, salsa, toast, and more!

Green tomatoes
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Got green tomatoes? Cooking with unripe red tomatoes is an age-old tradition that extends the life of summer tomatoes once cool weather hits. Fried green tomatoes are the most famous use in Southern cuisine, but guess what? There are many more exciting ways to eat them than just fried.

One of our favorite ideas? Green tomato pickles! They’re the perfect balance of crisp, tangy, and just-spicy-enough, perfect for snacks, a cheese board, relishes, and more. Stop scrolling, grab those tomatoes, and let’s do this! Additional ideas for using those green tomatoes are listed below the recipe.

What are green tomatoes?

Here’s the deal about green tomatoes—we’re not talking about those fancy heirloom varieties that are meant to be green. Green tomatoes are late season red tomatoes that haven’t ripened, leaving them green and hard. They have tart, zingy flavor and a robust texture.

These have been a cooking secret weapon for generations, especially in Southern cuisine where fried green tomatoes steal the spotlight. But there are many more creative ways to use them.

These green tomato pickles are one of our favorite uses for this seasonal ingredient. You can use them in power bowls, on burgers or hot dogs, on sandwiches, or even to garnish chili!

Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Print

Green Tomato Pickles

Pickled green tomatoes
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

The best way to preserve green tomatoes? As pickles! These pickled green tomatoes are the perfect condiment: tangy, salty, and 100% delicious.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart 1x
  • Category: Essentials
  • Method: Pickling
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups green tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Wash a wide-mouth 1-quart mason jar and and its lid in hot soapy water, then rinse and let air dry.
  2. Slice the tomatoes into wedges and pack them tightly into the jar. (If you have very large tomatoes, you may want to slice them into smaller wedges.)
  3. Peel the garlic. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, vinegar, water, dill, peppercorns, turmeric, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.
  4. Once dissolved, pour the brine mixture into the jar, allowing the garlic to settle on top of the vegetables. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Discard any remaining brine, or top off the jar with extra water if any tomatoes are exposed at the top. Screw on the lid tightly and allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating. If desired, discard the garlic after 24 hours. Keeps up to 1 month refrigerated.

Did you love this recipe?

Get our free newsletter with all of our best recipes!

Green tomato recipes

Want more ideas? There are many creative ways to use green tomatoes in your cooking. This tangy green salsa that’s like a cousin to salsa verde, perfect for dipping chips or loading onto tacos. You can even bake them into a cake: who knew?

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

21 Comments

  1. J Lynn Storey says:

    Diced and combined about half and half with apples, green tomatoes make a great mincemeat. Freezes well, too, if you hold the brandy until you’re ready to make pie. Or try a chicken vegetable soup with green tomatoes, onions, green chili, pinto beans, rice, and carrots, with a healthy splash of lime juice at the end. I call it Margarita Soup after the classic mixed drink..

  2. Nola Whiting says:

    These are very tasty. Quick and easy to make.
    I did can and hot bath a second batch, hopefully they are just as good. Will try one in a week, fingers 🤞.






  3. Ginny says:

    We use our green tomatoes to make relish and “mincemeat,” which are recipes from over a hundred years ago.

  4. Patricia Karman says:

    I tried you green tomato pickle recipe and loved it. I then gave some to a friend who also thought that it was delicious. The best part was that it was so easy and quick to make and ready to eat the next day Thank you!

    I have a question though. I have a very bushy plant with a lot to very tiny cherry tomatoes (all green). Could those be used in your green tomato pickle or green tomato salsa recidpes as well?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Hi! Yes, we pickle the cherry tomatoes too. Just slice in half.

See More Comments