Green Tomato Pickles – Easy Pickled Green Tomato Recipe for Canning

Name: Green Tomato Pickles - Easy Pickled Green Tomato Recipe for Canning
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 pounds small, firm green tomatoes; 1/4 cup canning salt; 3 1/2 cups vinegar; 3 1/2 cups water; garlic cloves, 6 or 7; fresh dill heads, 6-7; or 1/4 cup dill seeds; bay leaves, 6 or 7

September 21, 2018 By Laurie Neverman 24 Comments
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I made up a batch of these pickled green tomatoes to use up some of the unripe tomatoes knocked off the vines during our recent hail storm. We picked all the storm damaged fruit, and trimmed off the spoiled bits, saving the undamaged parts for preserving.

I found a number of green tomato recipes, but pickled green tomatoes seemed most likely to appeal to my family. (The crew groaned out loud at the green tomato mincemeat recipe.) We like dill pickles, so why not dilly green tomato pickles?

Want a super easy dill pickle recipe that doesn't require canning? Check out Betty's Dill Pickles.

Contents

Pickled Green Tomatoes – Which Tomatoes to Use
Green Tomato Pickles Recipe
More Condiment and Relish Water Bath Canning Recipes
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Green Tomato Pickles – Easy Pickled Green Tomato Recipe for Canning

Pickled Green Tomatoes – Which Tomatoes to Use

These pickled green tomatoes work best with small, firm tomatoes, not ones that are large and juicy. The firmer the fruit going into the pickle, the firmer the end product. The recipe isn't meant for tomatoes that are green when ripe. I'm sure you could still turn those into green tomato pickles, too, but they would be soft and mushy. This recipe also works fine for pickled green cherry tomatoes.

I use cider vinegar in my pickled green tomatoes, but you could also use white vinegar for a brighter color. Homemade vinegar is not recommended because the acidity may vary.

Green Tomato Pickles Recipe

Adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving Dilled Green Tomatoes recipe.

Ingredients

5 pounds small, firm green tomatoes
1/4 cup canning salt
3 1/2 cups vinegar
3 1/2 cups water
garlic cloves, 6 or 7
fresh dill heads, 6-7; or 1/4 cup dill seeds
bay leaves, 6 or 7

Directions

Prepare jars and two piece canning lids. Wash tomatoes, drain. Core tomatoes; cut into halves or quarters.

Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil.

Pack tomato chunks into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add 1 clove garlic, 1 head of dill (or 2 teaspoons dill seeds) and 1 bay leaf to each jar.

Ladle hot liquid over tomatoes, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims and screw on lids finger tights.

Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Yields about 6 pints.

Recommended Resources:

More Condiment and Relish Water Bath Canning Recipes

Because of added vinegar, most pickle and condiment recipes (like pickled green tomatoes) can be processed in a water bath canner instead of a pressure canner. These are some of the other water bath canning recipes featured on the site:

For an overview of different ways to store food at home, see Home Food Preservation – 10 Ways to Preserve Food at Home.

Are you a fan of pickled green tomatoes or green tomatoes in general? What's your favorite way to use them? Do you have any other tips for using garden produce that might otherwise not make the cut? Leave a comment and let me know.

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