I just love this pickled green tomato recipe! Because I don't process them, the tomatoes retain their crunch and make a wonderful snack. They also make a lovely addition to Chicago style hot dogs!
I always look forward to these tangy pickled green tomatoes come late fall. Here in Montana, there's usually a mad dash to harvest all the tomatoes left on the vine before the first frost. I'm sure some of you can relate.
While ripe home-grown tomatoes are perfect to use in cherry tomato confit, tabouli salad, and sun-dried tomatoes, what can you do with unripe red tomatoes? Bake them in a green tomato pie (it tastes very similar to apple pie).
Sliced and breaded green tomatoes can be used to make air fried green tomatoes. They're very popular in the south. Unripe tomatoes can also be used to make tomato jam and green tomato salsa. Substitute green tomatoes for tomatillos to make Instant Pot chili verde, and tomatillo green chili salsa!
However, one of my favorite green tomato recipes is these pickled green tomatoes! The recipe is simple, quick, and oh-so tasty!
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🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tomatoes: To make crunchy pickled tomatoes, you'll need firm, green tomatoes. If the tomatoes have started to ripen, they will get mushy once pickled!
- Dill: I like to use fresh dill, including sprigs of dill and heads of dill (flowers). If you need to, you can use 1 tablespoon of dill weed per jar.
- Vinegar: Use distilled white vinegar with 5% acidity.
- Salt: Pickling salt or sea salt.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar is needed to balance out the acidity.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves lend a wonderful flavor!
- Peppers: You can add Serrano peppers, jalapeños, or cayenne peppers, or leave them out if you prefer mild pickles.
Optional Ingredients
Although I love the simplicity of this recipe, feel free to add any of these optional ingredients:
- mustard seeds
- coriander seeds
- peppercorns
- bay leaves
- red onions
- celery seeds
🔪 Helpful Tools
- small saucepan
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- five 8-ounce jars
🍅 How to Make Pickled Green Tomatoes
Sterilize Jars
Step 1: Wash jar lids and collars in hot soapy water, then sterilize jars in boiling water for ten minutes. If using new jars, you can skip this step!
Prepare Vegetables
Step 2: Wash tomatoes, core, and slice into quarters. Peel and slice garlic cloves in half. Slice peppers into slices or slice in half, down the middle. Finally, wash fresh dill.
Pro Tip: If you're using garden-grown dill, make sure you inspect it closely for aphids before adding it to the pickles! Aphids seem to love dill.
Pack Jars
Step 3: Divide tomatoes, garlic, dill, and peppers tightly inside the sterilized jars, layering the ingredients.
Prepare Pickling Solution
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Step 4: Add water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a small saucepan. If adding alum, add it now. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar, until the pickling solution is hot. Allow to cool until warm.
Can Pickled Tomatoes
Pour pickling liquid into the packed jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims and seal the jars. Refrigerate for 3 days to allow the flavors to meld.
Looking for other tasty tomato recipes? Be sure to check out this delicious and vegan tomato fennel soup from Janelle at Plant Based Folk!
Should You Can Pickled Green Tomatoes?
These quick pickles are meant to be refrigerator pickles, which means they're not shelf-stable. Processing the pickles for 20 minutes in a canner will make the tomato's texture softer, even mushy. For this reason, I personally don't process the tomatoes in a canner. I place some in the fridge and give the rest away to family and friends.
There is another problem that can arise from pouring hot brine into the jar and processing the tomatoes in a canner. Can you guess what that is?
If you've got any experience in processing tomatoes, you're probably aware that the hot water will cause the tomato skins to come off. This means you may have loose tomato skins floating in your jars. Nobody wants that!
However, if you would still like to can your pickled tomatoes, follow the canning instructions below.
🥫Canning Instructions
Once the sterilized jars are filled and capped, slowly lower the jars into a boiling water bath and process for 20 minutes.
Remove jars and place on the counter until the jars seal. Make sure the lids are sealed, before labeling and storing the jars in the pantry. Consume within 6 months.
⛰ Adjust Processing Time For Altitude
If you live 1000 feet or higher above sea level, you need to adjust the processing time for higher altitude. Follow the times listed below.
| Altitude | Additional Processing Time |
| 1,001 — 3,000 3,001 — 6,000 6,001 — 8,000 8,001 — 10,000 | 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes |
🌭 Ways to Use Pickled Green Tomatoes
You can add tomato pickles to hot dogs, smoked burgers, or your favorite sandwiches. Or use them as a garnish for your cocktail, especially a dirty bloody mary!
Pickled tomatoes can also be added to this easy charcuterie board, and chopped and mixed into a dill potato salad. But my favorite way to enjoy pickled tomatoes is straight out of the jar!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Choose small, firm green tomatoes to ensure a crunchy texture.
- Plum tomatoes and Roma tomatoes are excellent pickling options. Firm green cherry tomatoes can also be used.
- Pickled green tomatoes can be safely stored in a refrigerator for up to one month.
🌶 Other Pickle Recipes
- Need more pickle recipes? Try my new zesty chow chow relish recipe. It can be mixed into potato salad, or added to beans, sandwiches, and so much more!
- These pickled garlic scapes are unique, delicious, and can be snacked on straight out of a jar and even added to your favorite salad!
- My tasty refrigerator dill pickles are easy to prepare and taste wonderful with a juicy venison burger or your favorite sandwich.
🥒 More Pickling Recipes!
📖 Recipe
Pickled Green Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs green tomatoes
- 10 cloves garlic
- 3 serrano peppers (optional)
- 1 cups white distilled vinegar
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ cup fresh dill
Instructions
Sterilize Jars
- Wash jar lids and collars in hot soapy water, then sterilize jars in boiling water for ten minutes. If using new jars, you can skip this step!
Prepare Vegetables
- Wash tomatoes, core, and slice into quarters. Peel and slice garlic cloves in half. Slice peppers into slices or slice in half, down the middle. Finally, wash fresh dill.
Pack Jars
- Divide tomatoes, garlic, dill, and peppers tightly inside the sterilized jars, layering the ingredients.
- Add water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a small saucepan. If adding alum, add it now. Whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar, until the pickling solution is hot. Allow to cool until warm.
- Pour pickling liquid into the packed jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims and seal the jars. Refrigerate for 3 days to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
-
- Choose small, firm green tomatoes to ensure a crunchy texture.
-
- If you're using garden-grown dill, make sure you inspect it closely for aphids before adding it to the pickles! Aphids seem to love dill.
-
- Plum tomatoes and Roma tomatoes are excellent pickling options. Firm green cherry tomatoes can also be used.
-
- Pickled green tomatoes can be safely stored in a refrigerator for up to one month.
Lori Ross says
So, I am not an adventurous eater and not a huge fan of tomatoes, let alone green tomatoes however...Today I was asked if I wanted to try these pickled green tomatoes. They were actually really good! I liked them better than red tomatoes. If you like spicy pickles you would love these:)
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Lori! So thankful you came back to report what you thought of them! Thank you!
Kathy Fisher says
These were really good. What a nice surprise. Normally I'm not a fan of green tomatoes. But these changed my mind. They are so good and crunchy and tangy. Just the right amount of tangy. Thanks Hilda for this great recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kathy! I think the secret is not processing them in a water bath, which makes them mushy.
Kelly Methey says
These are so delicious! I am surprised at how much I love them! They are delectably crunchy, garlicky, pickled goodness and very addicting!
Hilda Sterner says
I knew you would like them! Thanks for the review!
Kk says
Hilda! Long time fan.
Did you just change the recipe?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi KK, thank you, I appreciate you! I updated the post a while back and might have tweaked it a bit. To be honest, I'm constantly updating posts so it's hard to keep up sometimes!