When I first partake in these signature Garden Betty formula 12 years ago , an imminent farsighted route trip ( and a veritable “ field ” ofovergrown voluntary tomato plants ) were the impulsion for regain the quickest and well-off way to keep and store my bumper craw of tomatoes .

Preserving ripe tomatoes is easygoing enough ( after all , you’re able to never have too muchhomemade tomato sauceordehydrated Lycopersicon esculentum ) , but what to do about green , unripe tomato — andlotsof them ?

Enter : pickled green tomato .

5Green tomatoes on the vine

That week , I walk into the garden and visualize hundreds of green tomatoes hanging off the vines , just days away from ripening ( and guarantee to overripen by the time I return from my tripper ) .

My first thought was … Who ’s gon na eat all of that?!(I certainly did n’t want to leave them for the raccoons ! )

And so , just three days before I was fix to depart , I spend an good afternoon picking as many unripened cherry tomatoes off my plants as I could , skip to preserve them so I would n’t come home to a mass of schmaltzy , decompose fruit .

End-of-season unripe tomatoes

The final numeration came to 55 Egyptian pound .

When you ’re peach about cherry red tomatoes , 55 pounds is alotof tomatoes . I nearly pull off my back hauling the harvest from the garden up to the mansion . ( I know , I know — cue the violins . )

Related : Grow Tomatoes Like a Boss With These 10 Easy Tips

Backyard harvest of unripe tomatoes

Since I did n’t have time to get creative and whip up some relish or chutney , I decided to pickle all of them , thinking I can always turn those preserve tomatoes into savour later on .

And because I was terminate up a storm ( 32 quart in all ) , I pickled them four dissimilar path so I would n’t gettoosick of them come next summertime .

Read more:9 * Updated * Canning Tips and Tricks for Modern - Day Home Canning

55 pounds of unripe tomatoes

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How to make pickled green tomatoes, 4 ways

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

1 Irish punt dark-green slicing tomatoes ( or 1 1/2 pound green cherry tomatoes )

For the Brine1 cup white distilled vinegar ( 5 % acidity)1 loving cup water1 tablespoon kosher Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Basic Pickling Spice Mix1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds1 teaspoonful celery seeds1 teaspoon coriander seeds1/2 teaspoonful black peppercorns1/2 teaspoon whole Pimenta dioica

Mountain of green unripe cherry tomatoes

Dilly Garlicky Pickling Spice Mix2 teaspoonful dill seeds1 teaspoon ignominious peppercorns1 bay leaf4 garlic cloves , discase

Hot ‘ n Spicy Pickling Spice Mix1 teaspoonful black peppercorns1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns * 1 teaspoonful browned mustard seeds1/2 teaspoon cilantro seeds1/2 teaspoonful red pepper flakes

Curried Pickling Spice Mix**1/4 cup pack dark-brown sugar1 teaspoonful curry powder1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds1/4 teaspoonful whole allspice3/4 inch fresh gingerroot , sliced into thin coin

Jar of pickled green tomatoes

Instructions

Cut larger ( slicing ) tomatoes into 1/2 - inch wedges , and cut smaller ( cherry or grape ) tomatoes in half .

In a small saucepan , convey all of the saltwater ingredients to a furuncle and stir until the salt is dissolved . Remove the seawater from heat .

fulfill a spicy , clean quart jarful with the pickle spiciness mix of your selection . Pack the jar tightly with the love apple .

Green tomatoes ready for preserving

teem the hot saltwater over the tomato , cover them altogether and result 1/2 inch headspace .

Stick a chopstick or “ eruct ” tool into the jounce and move it around to release any trapped air bubbles .

pass over the brim clean , seal off with a lid and band , and process in a stewing water bath for 15 minute ( adjusting the time for elevation as needed ) .

Pack jars tightly with green tomatoes

immediate gratuity : Due to special infinite on my stovetop , I now usethis electric pee bath cannerand I bid I ’d found it sooner!Canning often occupy up all the space in my kitchen so no one else can fake while I ’m in there . Theelectric cannermakes it potential for me to move the piss bathroom process to the end of a kitchen counter , dining table , patio , or anywhere I have access to a fireplug . In the summer , I care to set up my canning station outside so I can also enjoy some fresh air while keeping the sign cooler . There ’s a waste pipe spout on the side so you do n’t have to hoist a huge , heavy pot to pour it out , but this spout is also swell for dispensing drinks . If you demand to make a large batch of a hot beverage ( spiced orchard apple tree cider , for representative ) , you could heat it up in the canner and use it as a commodious , mess - free serving post ( no more ladle going in and out of a obtuse cooker ) . Such a positive in my company book !

Store the jar in a nerveless , dark place . The green tomatoes will be perfectly pickle in about two weeks .

Add them to sandwiches , blistering bounder , burgers , steaks , potatoes , or anywhere you would normally utilise relish . For a unparalleled flush , you may even top off a Bloody Mary or dirty martini with a pickle greenish tomato garnish !

Bubble the jars with a chopstick to release trapped air bubbles

Recipe notes

  • Szechuan peppercorns can be observe at well - stock up Taiwanese or Vietnamese supermarket in the spice gangway .

    • When making curry and pickle green tomatoes , impart the saltwater constituent , chocolate-brown carbohydrate , and dress powder to a boiling point . Stir until the spices fade away completely . Fill a raging , clean quart jolt with cumin seed seeds , whole allspice , and ginger coins ; pack the jar with tomato ; then pour the hot brine miscellany over the tomatoes .

Common questions about green tomatoes

Is it safe to eat green tomatoes raw?

Absolutely!Green tomatoes ( as well as tomato leaves ) are edible , raw or cooked . They ’re wholly good to eat and — contrary to pop belief — no part of a tomato industrial plant is poisonous .

As with any vegetable , the cay is eat green tomato in moderation ( especially if you ’re sensitive to acidulous food or nightshades ) .

What do green tomatoes taste like?

unripe unripe tomato plant are tart , acidic , and more or less astringent , depending on how untried the tomatoes are . They have a firm , crunchy texture , and lack the juiciness of mature tomatoes .

While green love apple can be eaten bare-ass , their astringency mellow out when cooked or force out .

What’s the difference between a green tomato and an unripe tomato?

sure heirloom varieties of tomatoes ( such as Green Zebras ) start out green on the vine , and stay light-green when to the full ripe . As they mature , their flavor sweetens , their pulp relent , and they become juicier inside , all while remain immature outside .

Unripe love apple ( across all varieties ) start out green as well , but turn any shade of pinkish , cherry , yellow , orange , purple , or black as they develop .

My pickled green tomato   recipes use greenunripetomatoes , as their natural acerbity complement the punchy flavors in pickling spices .

Pickling spice mix

How can I get my pickled green tomatoes to stay crunchy after canning?

If these   pickled gullible love apple   are too soft for your like after going through a simmering body of water bath , try out decamp the boiling pee tub and making them as quick pickles alternatively .

Simply pour the live seawater over the Lycopersicon esculentum and spiciness , let the jar coolheaded at room temperature , and store in the fridge .

Or , you’re able to addPickle Crisp(food - grade calcium chloride ) to your jar , follow the recommended package amounts .

Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes

If your pickled greenish tomatoes aremushy , the problem may be in the caliber of green tomatoes used . Always set out with stiff , unused , unripe tomatoes that were harvested before the first Robert Frost . ( A freeze will grow tomatoes drippy , even if they seem hunky-dory on the outside . )

Unripe love apple left on the counter for a few days will also get the cognitive operation of ripen ( and soften ) , so it ’s best to use them as soon as you beak them .

What do you do with pickled green tomatoes?

Here are some of my favourite path to use pickled green tomatoes in my everyday preparation :

I also have stacks of suggestion forusing the   leftover pickle brine   here !

Where to buy pickling and canning supplies

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4 Ways to Pickled Green Tomatoes

plough an surplusage of green , unripe love apple into pickled green tomato with your choice of four different pickling saltwater .

Notes

    • When gain groom Pickled Green Tomatoes , fetch the brine ingredient , brown sugar , and groom gunpowder to a furuncle . excite until the spices dismiss completely . Fill a blistering , clean quart jounce with cumin source , whole allspice , and gingerroot ; wad the jar with tomatoes ; then pour the hot brine smorgasbord over the tomatoes .

alimentation information is n’t always accurate .

Did you make this recipe?

This post updated from an clause that originally look on August 29 , 2011 .

More green tomato recipes you might like :

reckon the Web Story onpickled green tomatoes .

Leave 1/2 inch headspace in the jar

Use a chopstick or bubbling tool to remove any trapped air bubbles

Green tomatoes in pickling brine

Process the jars in a boiling water bath

Pickled green tomatoes

Jars of pickled green tomatoes

4 ways to pickled green tomatoes