I’ll be honest; green tomatoes are still relatively new to my kitchen. Having picked up extras (for recipe testing), I suddenly had a lot of green tomatoes that either needed to be used immediately or preserved. I chose the latter and ended up discovering these delicious pickled tomatoes (to add to my collection of quick pickles including pickled turnips, pickled red onion, and spicy garlic).
What Is a Quick Pickle
This pickled tomatoes recipe is for refrigerator pickles (also called quick pickles). This means that the tomatoes are combined with the pickling brine and stored in the fridge, rather than being a shelf-stable canned version. So while the shelf life is shorter, you don’t have to worry about requiring any special canning equipment or food safety regulations! This pickled green tomatoes recipe is great for anyone who grows their own tomatoes or knows someone who does. It’s perfect for the end of summer as the season ends and you’re left with a large number of green tomatoes that will never ripen in time. Instead of wasting any, gather them all and get to work on this pickled tomatoes recipe! Best of all, these refrigerator pickles are super simple to make. You need just 6 ingredients with no unnecessary additives, and 15 minutes of hands-on prep for wonderfully tangy, tart, green tomato pickles! Once prepared, add them to salads, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards, or even eat them directly from the jar!
The Pickled Green Tomatoes Ingredients
Green tomatoes: you can use larger green tomatoes, cut into wedges, or smaller green cherry tomatoes, halved or whole (pickling cherry tomatoes are great). For this recipe, it’s best to use green tomatoes that are unripe red tomatoes (which are firm, with a tart flavor) and not a variety that is bred to be green when ripe (like green zebra tomatoes). Though this time I used ones I found at a farmers market (that very well may be the zebra variety, as I’ve never used them before).Herbs: I used a combination of bay leaves, oregano, and pink peppercorns for these simple pickled green tomatoes, to boost the flavor. Vinegar: I used distilled white vinegar this time. However, you can experiment with different vinegar varieties for a slightly different flavor. For example, you could use apple cider vinegar, which is naturally sweeter. Alternatively, you could use rice vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or even champagne vinegar.Water: if you can, use filtered water.Pickling salt: while you can technically use any coarse salt, pickling salt contains no “additives.” This means it won’t become cloudy in the brine (which can look like spoilage). Kosher salt would also work.
You’ll also need pint jars x2 or one larger jar.
How to Flavor Quick Pickles
There are several other optional add-ins to these green tomato pickles:
Seeds: coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, celery seeds.Lemon/Lime zest.Curry powder.Whole allspice.Fresh ginger, coined.Other herbs: fresh dill or cilantro would work well.Spice: jalapeño or serrano would work well. Alternatively, red pepper flakes can be used – but a little goes a long way, so be sparing!Sugar: I often add sweetener to balance some of the tang of the vinegar mixture. I recommend adding 1 Tbsp sugar, to begin with, and increasing to personal taste.Sweet pickled green tomatoes: you can substitute the pickling spices with just sugar and cinnamon (sticks) for a sweeter version that you can use in place of tart green apples in dishes.
How to Quick Pickle Green Tomatoes
Learn how to pickle tomatoes with this easy recipe for pickled green tomatoes.
Step 1: Sterilize the Jars
It’s essential to sterilize the jars when pickling to avoid early spoilage. To do so, first, preheat the oven to 325ºF/160ºC. Then wash the jars (and lids) in hot soapy water. Finally, rinse well. Then place the jars (not including any rubber or plastic parts) in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes or until the jars are completely dry. Alternatively, some dishwashers include a sterilization function that cleans and dries for you! Or you can sterilize the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Tomatoes
To prepare the green tomatoes, first, wash them well and dry them with a paper towel. Then chop them down to size. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, this will differ. For larger tomatoes, I like to cut wedges. For smaller tomatoes, you can cut them in half or even leave them whole (poked with a toothpick/knife).
Step 3: Prepare the Pickling Liquid
To prepare the pickling liquid, combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the salt dissolves. This usually only takes a couple of minutes. Then remove the mixture from the heat to cool for several minutes.
Step 4: Transfer the Ingredient to the Jar/s
When adding the various ingredients to the jar/s, I like to layer things slightly. First, add a handful of the green tomatoes to the bottom of the jar, then a whole garlic clove (or chop it into several smaller pieces), and a bay leaf. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Then add the oregano and peppercorns. Make sure to use a jar where you’re able to pack the tomatoes tightly while keeping at least ½ inch headspace at the top of the jar. You can use one larger jar or several smaller ones. Then, pour in the pickling liquid, making sure to submerge the tomatoes entirely while keeping ½ inch/1 cm headspace. Then secure the lid on the jar and allow it to continue to cool down at room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge for at least 24 hours of pickling before enjoying these quick pickles tomatoes!
How Long Do Quick Pickles Last
Store the pickled green tomatoes in the fridge for up to a month in an airtight jar. Make sure to use clean utensils to remove the tomatoes to avoid early spoilage. You can also water bath “can” the pickled green tomatoes for longer-term storage (up to 18 months), though I don’t usually do this as I usually only make a batch large enough to last a month. If you want to water-bath can them, green tomatoes canning recipes suggest that 12-15 minutes in a water bath would work well (depending on your altitude, this will differ). It’s best to refer to trusted sources on the method such as the USDA or NCHFP guidelines.
How to Use Pickled Green Tomatoes
If you don’t end up eating the entire content of the jar with a spoon/fork (been there!), then there are several ways to enjoy these pickling green tomatoes:
Over sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and hot dogs.Add to salads – you can use these in all sorts of salads, including leafy green ones. Or add to veggie salads – like potato salad or pasta salads.Use as a garnish for dips.Use to garnish a Bloody Mary (or dirty martini).Serve alongside grilled meats or tofu.Smash into dressings.Add to tacos or nachos.Serve as part of a charcuterie board with cheese and crackers.Mac n’ Cheese or other pasta bakes.
More Easy Recipes for Pickling
Quick Pickled AsparagusPickled LemonsDill PicklesPickled JalapeñosQuick Pickled CabbageCrunchy Pickled Okra (Canning & Preserving)
If you try this pickled tomatoes recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
