Green tomato piccalilli is a classic New England relish that incorporates end-of-the-garden season produce all in one delicious condiment. Green tomatoes are the star of the show, with their distinctive flavor, and it’s a great way to use green tomatoes harvested before the first winter frost.
Piccalilli is an incredibly tangy, zesty relish that features an all-star combination of vegetables, spices, and vinegar. It provides a bright and refreshing flavor that works well with a wide range of dishes, making it a popular condiment in many cuisines worldwide.
Green tomato piccalilli, in particular, is an excellent way to use up green tomatoes that may not have ripened fully before the winter season sets in. It’s a delicious and practical way to make the most of your garden harvest while also extending its shelf life.
It seems like every region has its own version of this versatile relish. There are British piccalilli recipes that are mustard-based and southern versions (usually called chow chow). No matter what you call it, it seems like everywhere around the world, there’s some type of piccalilli preserved at the end of the growing season. With a reputation like that, it’s gotta be good.
Ready to get started? Here’s a guide to canning green tomato piccalilli – it’s easier than you might think!
Ingredients for Green Tomato Piccalilli
This recipe is a tested recipe adapted from the University of Georgia’s book So Easy to Preserve. It is ironic that a southern university made a northern condiment, but they are one of the only places in the country doing this type of recipe testing, and they did take the time to track down an authentic northern recipe for piccalilli.
I’ll have a southern chow chow coming up shortly, but until then, enjoy this taste of the north!
The ingredients for canning green tomato piccalilli are quite simple. To make a canner batch of nine half-pint jars, you’ll need the following:
- 6 cups green tomatoes, diced
- 1 ½ cups sweet red peppers, diced
- 1 ½ cups green bell peppers, diced
- 2 ¼ cups chopped onions, diced
- 7 ½ cups cabbage, chopped
- ½ cup canning or pickling salt
- 4 ½ cups vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
- 3 cups packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp whole mixed pickling spice
A couple of things to note here…that’s a lot of salt in the recipe! It’s not put directly into the brine though, it’s used for salting the veggies overnight. The vast majority of that salt drains away, and it’s just used to crisp the veggies.
If you put that salt directly into a brine and skip the veggie salting step, not only will you have a ridiculously salty preserve, but the veggies will be soggy too, since they weren’t salted before picking to draw out their moisture.
Please read the directions in the recipe (below) carefully, and be sure to salt the veggies overnight before proceeding.
There are variations that use a slightly different mix of veggies, and certain substitutions can be made here. Any type of peppers can be used, so long as they total no more than 3 cups togther.
Some people choose to use red onions or red cabbage, and that’s fine, too.
The sugar here is brown sugar, which gives the brine a brown color. I tend to use cider vinegar, so that makes it even darker too. If you want a brigher pickle, use white sugar and white vinegar. It’ll be prettier, but the flavor will suffer…it’s up to you.
Lastly, the whole mixed pickling spices don’t go into the jars. They’re tied into a sachet and infused into the brine. If you add that to the jars the spices will over infuse and get bigger, and they’ll also be hazardous mixed in the relish. They are removed before the piccalilli goes into jars.
Pickling spices are tied into a cheesecloth sachet to infuse into the brine, and then they’re removed before the condiment goes into jars.
Canning Green Tomato Piccalilli
Start by chopping up the vegetables you want to use – green tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and cabbage. Mix everything together with some salt and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. This helps to draw out excess liquid from the vegetables and also makes them crisper.
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
You can speed it up if you’d like, and only leave them sitting for about 6 hours in a collander draining in the sink (rather than overnight), so you can finish the recipe in a day. That’s fine.
The main thing is, the veggies need to drain liquid and infuse with salt, and the majority of the salt used is washed away.
The next morning (or after at least 6 hours), drain the vegetables well and press them into a clean white cloth to remove any remaining liquid. If you make this recipe and find the mixture to be too salty, you can rinse the vegetables before pressing them the next time. Ultimately, though, this step is important to get the right texture and flavor for your piccalilli.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and vinegar in a large pot or Dutch oven. You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, depending on your taste preferences, but make sure it has at least 5% acidity.
Next, tie your spices loosely up in a piece of cheesecloth or a clean cloth and add them to the vinegar mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Once your vinegar mixture is boiling, it’s time to add the vegetables. Stir everything together and return to a boil. Let the mixture boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. This concentrates the flavors and helps the vegetables to absorb the spices and vinegar.
While the mixture is simmering, prepare a water bath canner, jars, rings and lids.
After you remove the spice bag from the pot and get ready fo canning.
(If not canning, you can just load the preserve into jars, close with lids, and then cool on the counter before storing in the refrigerator.
Pack half-pint jars with the piccalilli, making sure to leave about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Use a spatula to remove any air bubbles, and wipe the rims of the jars clean to make sure you get a good seal.
To process the jars, submerge them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation). After you’ve finished processing, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a clean rag at room temperature.
Check for a tight seal on each jar, and store any jars that did not seal properly in the refrigerator. Store for up to one year. Easy as that!
Serving Green Tomato Piccalilli
Green tomato piccalilli is a delicious condiment that can be served with a variety of dishes. You can use it as a relish or as a topping for meats, sandwiches, or even crackers. One of the great things about piccalilli is that it can be both “heat and eat,” as well as customized further to whatever your liking might be.
If you prefer to eat piccalilli as is, simply spoon it out of the jar and onto your dish of choice. You can add it to your burger, hot dog, or sandwich for an extra layer of flavor – or you can use it as an accompaniment with cheese and crackers for a tasty snack.
If you prefer a more customized approach to your piccalilli, you can try adding ingredients to it at the time of serving (don’t do this when canning, as it can affect the safety of your finished product). This might include other vegetables or even fresh herbs (parsley and cilantro are popular options).
Green Tomato Piccalilli (New England Style)
New England Style Green Tomato Piccalilli is a classic autumn preserve with plenty of flavor!
Ingredients
- 6 cups green tomatoes, diced
- 1 ½ cups sweet red peppers, diced
- 1 ½ cups green bell peppers, diced
- 2 ¼ cups chopped onions, diced
- 7 ½ cups cabbage, chopped
- ½ cup canning or pickling salt (for salting veggies, not in brine)
- 4 ½ cups vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
- 3 cups packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp whole mixed pickling spice
Instructions
- Begin by chopping up your vegetables.
- Mix them with some salt and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator to draw out excess liquid.
- The next morning, drain the vegetables well and press them into a clean white cloth to remove any remaining liquid.
- Combine the sugar and vinegar in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Tie your spices loosely up in a piece of cheesecloth or a clean cloth and add them to the vinegar mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once your vinegar mixture is boiling, add the vegetables. Stir everything together and return to a boil. Let the mixture boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until it has reduced by half.
- Remove the spice bag from the pot.
- Add the drained salted vegetables and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes to heat the veggies through.
- Pack the hot half-pint jars with the piccalilli, making sure to leave about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top.
- Use a spatula to remove any air bubbles and wipe the rims of the jars clean.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation).
- Remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a clean rag at room temperature.
- Check for a tight seal on each jar, and store any jars that did not seal properly in the refrigerator. Store for up to one year.
Green Tomato Canning Recipes
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Relish Canning Recipes
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