Pickled Green Tomatoes

This post may contain affiliate links.  Read full disclosure here.

Pickled green tomatoes are a simple way to preserve green tomatoes for tasty recipes year-round.  Believe it or not, green (under ripe) tomatoes have a unique flavor that’s downright delicious as a green tomato pickle.

Our garden season is short here in Vermont, and we usually only have around 100 day so frost free each year.  Sometimes we’ll get lucky and the frosts will hold off, and I might get 120 or even a rare 130 days frost free.

Still, inevitably the frosts will come…and the day before they’re forecast, I’m out there pulling every single green tomato off the plants.  If they’re touched by frost, they’re done for, but if I bring them in, I can use them in all manner of green tomato recipes.

There’s usually way more than we can eat in a short time, so more often than not, they go into preserves in the form of green tomato canning recipes.

Believe it or not, there are quite a few, even a recipe for canning green tomato jam, which is quite good.  There’s even a tested recipe for canning green tomato pie filling!

One of the simplest green tomato canning recipes is just pickled green tomatoes.  Since green tomatoes are firmer than regular tomatoes, they hold up well to pickling and maintain a nice crunchy texture.

You can pickle any green tomatoes, but my favorites are pickled green cherry tomatoes.  Since you can pickle them whole, they tend to do better in the canner than sliced full sized green tomatoes.

Recipes for Pickled Green Tomatoes

I’m using cherry tomatoes here, but can use any type of unripe tomato.  They can be heirlooms or hybrids, full size or cherry, roma or slicers.  It doesn’t matter, the recipe is the same.

If they’re big, you should slice or chop them in some way so that they’re more manageable as pickles.  They should be bite sized, or at least reasonable sized slices.

The next step is making a pickling brine.  You can use any pickling brine from any canning recipe, believe it or not, provided that at least half the liquid is vinegar (at 5% acidity).  My dill pickle canning recipe works fine with green tomatoes, as does my bread and butter pickle recipe.

My recipe for spicy pickled garlic actually works really well with green tomatoes too.

You can even make pickle relish, using my sweet dill pickle relish recipe.

That said, there are a few delicious tested recipes specifically for canning green tomato pickles, namely the one I’m using which is adapted from The Ball Blue Book of Canning.  The seasonings are up to you, but I’ll give you some tasty options.

Ingredients for Pickled Green Tomatoes

To make about 6 pints of pickled green tomatoes, you’ll need:

• 5 lbs Green Tomatoes, preferably small and firm
• 1/4 cup pickling salt or kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar (optional, but helps balance the flavor)
• 3 1/2 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
• 3 1/2 cups water

These basic ingredients will give you a pickling brine for delicious pickled green tomatoes, but they’re missing spices for that extra something special. 

Beyond these basic ingredients, you can add any of the following spice mixes:

Basic Pickled Green Tomatoes

My preference for pickled green tomatoes is to keep things simple, and not go over the top with spicing.  Bread and butters can be quite sweet, and sometimes you just don’t want dill flavoring.

This basic spice mix adds intrigue, but doesn’t overwhelm.

• 6 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp per pint
• 6 garlic cloves, 1 per pint

Dilled Green Tomatoes

Basic dill pickles are one of the most common types, and this spicing is what’s recommended by Ball Canning.

• 6 heads fresh dill, 1 per pint
• or 12 tsp dill seed, 2 tsp per pint
• 6 bay leaves, 1 per pint
• 6 cloves garlic, 1 per pint

Add the spices to each jar, at a rate of 1 per jar across the 6 jars.  (Or in the case of dill seed, use 2 tsp per jar.)

Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes

For a bit of heat, try adding these spices instead:

• 6 to 12 tsp red pepper flakes, at 1-2 tsp per pint jar
• 3 to 6 tsp black peppercorns, at 1/2 to 1 tsp per pint jar

Bread and Butter Pickled Green Tomatoes

For a classic bread an butter flavor, increase the sugar in the brine to 1 cup, and try adding:

• 1/2 cup sliced onion, a few slices per jar
• 6 garlic cloves, one per pint
• 6 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp per pint

How to Pickle Green Tomatoes

To make pickled green tomatoes, start by slicing the tomatoes into reasonable sized pieces.  Halves or quarters work too.

Combine the ingredients for your basic brine in a saucepan, including vinegar, water, salt and sugar (if using). 

Bring to a boil and simmer 2-5 minutes, until the salt dissolves.  Turn off heat.

Pack the tomatoes raw into hot jars, along with any other vegetables (like onion or garlic) and add the spices directly to each jar.  Be sure to leave 1/2 inch headspace.

Pour the hot brine over the green tomatoes in the jars, maintaining 1/2 inch headspace.  De-bubble jars and adjust headspace, then cap with 2 part canning lids.

For refrigerator pickles, let the jars cool on the counter then store in the refrigerator.  Allow at least 2 days for the flavors to infuse, preferably at least a week.

If canning to make the jars shelf stable, proceed directly to the canning instructions below.

Canning Green Tomato Pickles

Canning is optional, but it’s what makes the pickles shelf stable so they’re actually preserved right on your pantry shelf and not taking up refrigerator space (until they’re opened).

If canning, prepare a water bath canner before you begin and preheat the water for raw pack.  It should be hot, but not yet simmering, around 140 degree F.

Prepare the pickles as you otherwise would, leaving 1/2 inch headspace and sealing the jars to finger tight with 2 part canning lids.

Load the jars into the canner and bring the canner to a full rolling boil.

Process pint jars for 15 minutes, and quart jars for 20 (adjusting for altitude).

When the canning time is complete, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for another 5 minutes to partially cool before removing them to cool completely on a towel on the counter.  (This helps prevent siphoning, or liquid loss as the jars are removed from the canner.)

Wait 12-24 hours, then check seals.  Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.

Properly canned and sealed jars will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for around 18 months, and be safe to eat for much longer.  Refrigerate after opening.

Using Green Tomato Pickles

Pickled green tomatoes are delicious right out of the jar, and they work well on fried fish or next to a bowl of chili and cornbread.

They’re also perfect on charcuterie plates.

Beyond the normal uses for pickles, there’s actually a special cocktail called a “Dirty Jane” that specifically uses pickled green cherry tomatoes.

Ways to Use Green Tomatoes

Looking for more tasty green tomato recipes?

• Green Tomato Jam
• Canning Green Tomato Picadilli
• Pickled Green Tomato Relish

Yield: Makes about 6 pints

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Canning Time (Optional): 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Pickled green tomatoes is an easy way to preserve a bumper crop of underripe green tomatoes at the end of the gardening season.

Print

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

• 5 lbs Green Tomatoes, preferably small and firm
• 1/4 cup pickling salt or kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar (optional, but helps balance the flavor)
• 3 1/2 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
• 3 1/2 cups water

Basic Pickled Green Tomatoes

• 6 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp per pint
• 6 garlic cloves, 1 per pint

Dill Pickled Green Tomatoes

• 6 heads fresh dill, 1 per pint
• or 12 tsp dill seed, 2 tsp per pint
• 6 bay leaves, 1 per pint
• 6 cloves garlic, 1 per pint

Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes

• 6 to 12 tsp red pepper flakes, at 1-2 tsp per pint jar
• 3 to 6 tsp black peppercorns, at 1/2 to 1 tsp per pint jar

Bread and Butter Pickled Green Tomatoes

• 1/2 cup sliced onion, a few slices per jar
• 6 garlic cloves, one per pint
• 6 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp per pint
• 3 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp per pint

Instructions

1. If canning, prepare a water bath canner and jars before beginning. Preheat it for raw pack to hot but not yet simmering, around 140 degrees F. This is optional, and only nessisary if canning.
2. Prepare green tomtoes by slicing them into reasonable sized pieces for your pickles. Slices, quarters or halves all work.
3. Pack green tomatoes into one pint canning jars. You should have enough to fill 6 jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Choose your spice mix from the list above and add the spices and other vegetables (garlic, onion, etc) directly to each jar.
4. Bring the brine ingredients (including vinegar, water, salt and sugar) to a boil on the stove, and stir to dissolve the salt/sugar. Remove from heat.
5. Pour the hot brine over the green tomatoes and spices in the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. De-bubble jars and adjust headspace.
6. Cap with 2 part canning lids.

For Refrigerator pickles, allow the jars to cool on the counter and then store in the refrigerator. Allow the flavors to infuse for at least 2 days, preferably at least a week, before eating.

If canning, prepare a water bath canner before beginning. Once the jars are capped with 2 part canning lids, load them into the pre-heated canner and bring the canner to a full rolling boil. Process jars for 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts (adjusting for altitude).

Notes

There are multiple spice mixes listed in this recipe. Choose one and add the specified amount of spices to each pint jar. If using quart jars, use twice as much spices per jar.

You can adjust the spices, salt and sugar however you'd like. They are not required for safe canning.

Do not reduce the amount of vinegar in the brine. What makes this a safe canning recipe is that the brine is at least 50% vinegar that's been standardized to 5% acidity. Don't use weaker vinegar, and don't use less than half vinegar.

You can increase the vinegar and reduce the water if you prefer pickles that are more sour, as is often done with bread and butter pickles to balance out the extra sugar in the recipe.

Pickling Recipes

Looking for more easy pickle recipes?

• Bread and Butter Pickles
• Dill Pickles
• Sweet Dill Pickle Relish
• Gherkins (Baby Pickles)
• Pickled Peppers

Fall Canning Recipes

Preserving more than just green tomatoes this fall?  I have literally hundreds of canning recipes on the site, and here’s a few to get you started:

• Canning Apple Slices
• Canning Pears
• Pear Jelly
• Canning Pumpkin
• Canning Beets