Canning Green Tomatoes

Canning Green Tomatoes is an easy way to preserve unripe tomatoes at the end of the growing season.  You can use them in all manner of recipes, including classic fried green tomatoes!

I came across this recipe in the book Saving the Season by Kevin West, and I was skeptical. I wasn’t skeptical that green tomatoes could be canned in general, as, of course, they can. They’re more acidic than ripe tomatoes, and they’re perfectly safe for home canning. (And no, green tomatoes aren’t toxic—that’s a myth.)

I was skeptical because I didn’t believe they’d hold up to canning. Would slices of green tomato just fall apart?

It turns out, no.

They hold up beautifully, and that’s because underripe tomatoes have a lot more natural pectin than fully ripe tomatoes.  They come through the canning process wonderfully and don’t fall apart at all.

While canning ripe tomato slices isn’t exactly workable, it’s perfectly fine for green tomato slices.  (And, of course, frying ripe tomato slices doesn’t work either…that’s why you only fry green tomatoes, of course!)

Now I have yet another delicious choice to add to my list of more than 20 Green Tomato Canning Recipes!

Ingredients for canning Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes are a family favorite, but the green tomato season doesn’t last long enough!  Canning green tomato slices is easy and allows you to savor sliced green tomatoes year-round.

You will want to use wide-mouth quart jars for canning the tomatoes.  The wide mouth allows you to fill the jar with slices and also remove the slices without having to try to “fold” the tomato slice.  Once they are canned, the green tomato slices are pretty soft, so they must be handled carefully when getting them out of the jar.  Using a wide-mouth jar makes this much more accessible.

To can green tomato slices, you’ll need the following:

• Green tomatoes, firm
• Boiling water
• 1 teaspoon kosher or pickling salt per quart jar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, bottled per quart jar

Try to use firm green tomatoes that have not begun to ripen, and select tomatoes that are small enough to fit into wide-mouth quart jars but not so small that the tomato slices will not remain stacked in the jar.  

Bottled lemon juice is necessary in this recipe to ensure the correct acidity levels for safe canning.  Green tomatoes are more acidic than regular tomatoes, but they still require a bit of added acidity for safe water bath canning.

How to prepare green tomatoes for canning

Prepare a water bath canner and start it preheating before you start working with the tomatoes.

Wash the tomatoes thoroughly under cool water.  We will not remove the skins, so you want to make sure the outside is clean (and ideally, use unsprayed organic tomatoes for this).  Allow the water to drain off.

Sterilize the quart jars you will be using and prepare 2-part canning lids.

Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice off the top of the tomato, removing the stem with it.  Discard this top slice that has the stem attached.

Slice the remainder of the tomato into ½” slices, and carefully stack the tomato slices in a sterilized wide-mouth quart jar.

Continue slicing tomatoes and filling quart jars until you have used your green tomato supply and have full quart jars.  Do not attempt to can a quart jar of tomatoes that is only partially filled, just choose a smaller jar.

Bring a kettle of water to boil on the stove.

Add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice for each full quart jar and 1 teaspoon of kosher or pickling salt on top of the tomatoes.  Salt is optional, but lemon juice is not.

Carefully pour boiling water over the tomatoes in jars until the tomatoes are covered, leaving ½” headspace at the top. Use a small rubber spatula or knife to remove air bubbles. If necessary, top off with more boiling water to maintain the ½” headspace.

Canning Green Tomatoes

If you’re unfamiliar with water bath canning, please read my beginner’s guide to water bath canning before you get started.

You will need a large stock pot or hot water bath canner at least 2” taller than a quart jar.  

Add enough water to the canner so that once the filled quart jars are loaded into the canner, the water will be at least 1” over the tops of the quart jars.

Heat the water on high heat and bring the water to a boil.

Once you have filled your jars with sliced green tomatoes, wipe the rims of the filled jars with a damp, clean cloth. 

Place the flat canning lid on the jars. Screw on the canning bands (rings) just until finger-tight. Do not overtighten the lids.

Load the jars of tomatoes into your preheated canner, making sure that there is enough water in your canner to cover the jars by at least 1”.

Maintain high heat under the canner to return the water to boiling after the added jars.

Once the water has returned to boiling, start the timer and process the quart jars for 45 minutes (or pint jars for 40 minutes), adjusting for altitude. Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit in the canner for 5 minutes. 

Use a jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and set them to cool on a towel on the counter, leaving room between the jars for airflow. Do not disturb the jars as they cool.  Check the seals after 12-24 hours and store unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.

Store your canned green tomato slices in your pantry or other cool, dry place. It will maintain peak quality on the shelf for about 18 months but will still be good to eat after that as long as the jar remains sealed.  Refrigerate after opening.  

Altitude Adjustments

Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes, so you’ll need to process the jars a bit longer if you’re above 1,000 feet in elevation.  Here are the altitude adjustments for canning green tomatoes (whole, halves, chunks, or in slices):

• For Under 1,000 Feet in Elevation – 40 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts
• For 1,001 to 3,000 Feet in Elevation – 45 minutes for pints and 50 minutes for quarts
• For 3,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation – 50 minutes for pints and 55 minutes for quarts
• For 6,001 to 8,000 Feet in Elevation – 55 minutes for pints and 60 minutes for quarts
• For 8,001 to 10,000 Feet in Elevation – 60 minutes for pints and 65 minutes for quarts

Ways to Use Canned Green Tomatoes

A traditional and popular way to use sliced green tomatoes is to fry them. 

Carefully coat the green tomato slices with cornmeal seasoned with salt, pepper, and ground cayenne pepper.  Fry the slices in hot vegetable oil or lard for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Remove from the oil and place the fried slices on a paper towel to drain.  Serve hot with chutney or relish.

Yield: Yield Varies

Canning Green Tomato Slices

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• Green tomatoes, firm
• Boiling water
• 1 teaspoon pickling or kosher salt per quart jar
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar

Instructions

1. Wash the tomatoes under cool water and drain.
2. Sterilize wide-mouth quart canning jars.  Fill the canner with water and heat over high heat to boiling. 
3. Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice off the top of the tomato, removing the stem with the slice.
4. Cut the remainder of the tomato into ½” slices and stack the slices in sterilized wide-mouth quart jars.  Continue slicing tomatoes and filling jars.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher or pickling salt for each filled quart jar and 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice.
6. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes until covered, leaving a ½” headspace at the top of the jar. Lightly tap the jar or use a knife or spatula to remove air bubbles. If needed, top off with more boiling water to maintain the ½” headspace required.
7. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth and apply 2-part canning lids.
8. Load the filled jars into the canner and bring the water back to a boil.
9. Once the water is boiling, process the jars for 45 minutes. Ensure the water covers the jars by at least 1”.
10. After the time has elapsed, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
11. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a towel on the counter, leaving airspace between the jars.  After 12-24 hours, check the seals on the jars, label, and store. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated for immediate use. Sealed jars should be stored in a cool, dark place or pantry and will maintain quality for 12-18 months as long as the seal is intact.

Green Tomato Canning Recipes

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