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The best way to preserve green tomatoes? These pickled green tomatoes are the perfect condiment: tangy, salty, and absolutely delicious!
Got green tomatoes? How about making…pickles? When we’re left with a bush of green tomatoes at the end of the season, one of our favorite ways to preserve them is by whipping up a jar of pickles. It’s hard to describe just how next level these pickled green tomatoes are. They’re tangy, salty, a little sweet, and the absolute perfect condiment. If you’re a pickle lover like we are, you’ll adore these. Here’s how to make them!
What are quick pickles?
These pickled green tomatoes are quick pickles, any blend of vegetables that have been pickled in a mixture of vinegar, salt, sugar, and water, and are stored in the refrigerator. The great part about them? There’s no canning required! No special canning equipment is needed, which makes the entire process quick and simple.
These pickled green tomatoes last for 1 month in the refrigerator. Keep in mind, they’re not shelf stable like traditional canned pickles. This isn’t a problem for us, since we eat them so quickly!
What green tomatoes to use?
Can you use any tomato that is green in color for pickled green tomatoes? No, this recipe is meant for unripe red tomatoes that are the color green. These are the ones that are left in your garden after the summer temperatures have cooled down.
Contrast this with the varieties of tomatoes that are bred to be green when ripe! The green zebra tomato is a good example of a green-when-ripe tomato. This type of tomato tastes juicy and sweet, just like a red tomato. You can grow these or find them at your local farmer’s market. You’ll see them featured in this Mozzarella Tomato Basil Salad to bring in a contrasting color.
This pickled green tomatoes recipe is intended for red tomatoes that haven’t yet ripened, leaving them green and hard. They have tart, zingy flavor and a robust texture that makes for perfect pickles.
How to make pickled green tomatoes
These pickled green tomatoes are very easy to make. They require only 15 to 20 minutes of hands on time, which is absolutely worth it for the flavor you’ll achieve. Here’s how to make them!
Step 1: Wash the jar.
Wash a wide-mouth 1-quart mason jar and and its lid in hot soapy water. Rinse and let it air dry. This step is important to make sure that there’s no bacteria in the jar.
Step 2: Slice the green tomatoes.
Slice those green tomatoes into wedges (here’s a video on How to Cut Tomatoes). Pack them tightly into the jar. If you’re using have very large tomatoes, you may want to slice them into smaller wedges. While you’re at it, peel those garlic cloves.
Step 3: Make the brine.
In a small saucepan, combine garlic, vinegar, water, dill, peppercorns, turmeric, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Step 4: Pour in the brine and refrigerate 24 hours.
Once the sugar and salt are dissolved, pour the brine into the jar. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles, then screw on the lid tightly and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.
How to serve pickled green tomatoes
After we made these pickled green tomatoes and waited the 24 hours (so hard to wait!), Alex took the jar out of the refrigerator and handed it to me. I cautiously took one out and took a bite. YUM! I shouted. Yes, they were that good. Alex and I are huge pickle fanatics, so this pickle recipe was exactly what we needed to turn a garden full of green tomatoes into something extra special.
How to use pickled green tomatoes? Let us count the ways:
- Straight out of the jar. Duh!
- On toast. Make this Green Tomato Toast, but use pickled tomatoes instead.
- On burgers and dogs. Try our Best Veggie Burger Recipe.
- In a bowl meal. Try them with Go Green Bowls, Roasted Vegetable Bowls, Raw Falafel Buddha Bowls or Broccoli & Turmeric Rice Bowls. Or even Homemade Dolsot Bibimbap.
- In potato salad. Chop them up and put them in Classic Creamy Vegan Potato Salad.
- In salad dressing. Mince them for classic Thousand Island Dressing.
- On sandwiches. Chop them for the Russian Dressing in this Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich or Coleslaw & Swiss Melt Sandwich.
- Fold them into hummus. Chop them and stir into this Homemade Hummus Recipe.
More green tomato recipes
Got more green tomatoes you’re not sure what to do with? Here are a few more resources:
- Green Tomato Toast is a quick and easy way to eat them
- Green Tomato Salsa tastes just like salsa verde
- Browse all our green tomato recipes!
This pickled green tomatoes recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan.
Quick Pickled Green Tomatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
Description
The best way to preserve green tomatoes? As pickles! These pickled green tomatoes are the perfect condiment: tangy, salty, and 100% delicious.
Ingredients
- 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
- Wash a wide-mouth 1-quart mason jar and and its lid in hot soapy water, then rinse and let air dry.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: American
More preserving and pickle recipes
Looking for more pickle recipes? You’re in luck! We’re all about pickles over here. Here are our favorites:
Hiiii
How many grams are four cups of green tomatoes please 😎
We don’t have a weight handy, sorry!
tried this recipe scaled up without sugar and it was wonderful! I know this post says stays good for a month in fridge, but I made these last year during harvest and found one last jar in my fridge at the beginning of this spring and we ate them and they were unreal. so delicious. so stay safe obviously but I had a jar last for 8+ months in the fridge!
So the quick pickled tomatoes cannot be stored on a shelf?
No! These are not canned and need to be refrigerated.
I really liked th idea of pickled green tomatoes…tried this recipe…loved the crunch. Only thing is I found the 2 Tbsp of salt…too much. I used cherry tomatoes, not whole green ones so maybe that is why… I could not taste the garlic or pepper …tasted no sweetness from the sugar at all. I will adjust and make again next year. Thank you.