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?
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:
- Home Canned Salsa Recipe – Plus 10 Tips for Safe Salsa Canning
- Homemade Ketchup – Canned
- Pickle Relish Sweetened With Honey
- Betty's No Can Dill Pickles
- Pickled Dilly Beans with Garlic and Cayenne Pepper
- Gram Irene's Pickled Beets
- Pickled Peppers
- Green Tomato Chow Chow Relish
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.
Print Friendly Recipe
PrintGreen Tomato Pickles – Easy Pickled Green Tomato Recipe for Canning
Pickled green tomatoes are a great way to use up unripe tomatoes, or simply mix up your tomato harvest with the crisp texture of green tomatoes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 pints 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Canning
- 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
Instructions
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.
Notes
Note: Nutrition information includes salt in the brine, most of which is not eaten unless you like to drink pickle juice.
Keywords: pickle, pickled green tomatoes
Originally published in 2017, updated in 2018.
Nora says
Hi there,
Thanks for your informative emails.
I live in Nova Scotia and was listening just this week to a lady being interviewed on radio. She had written a well-known book on canning and she mentioned, in the interview, that there weren’t any green tomato recipes in the book because green tomatoes have a high solanine content. Your thoughts?
Laurie Neverman says
The solanine content in green tomatoes is higher than in red tomatoes, but the plant (leaves and stems) have the highest concentration of solanine. Some sensitive individuals may still get an upset stomach from consuming large amounts. As mentioned in the post, green tomatoes should be processed before eating, not eaten raw.
Brett says
Do these have to be stored in refrigerator or on the dhelf
Laurie Neverman says
Once canned they are shelf stable, i.e., no refrigeration required.
Terry says
How long should the tomatoes pickle before I can open a jar and eat them?
Laurie Neverman says
I’d suggest waiting a couple of weeks to let the pickle do its thing.
Terry says
Thank you! My family can hardly wait to try the pickled tomatoes!
Laurie Neverman says
You’re welcome.
linda says
I have been making these for over 15 years & I have always refrigerated mine after the jars are room temperature. Refrigerating them makes them really crisp; my son can eat an entire quart jar of these in front of a football game! We only wait a couple of days and start eating them.
Laurie Neverman says
Refrigeration does indeed make them more crisp. Glad your son enjoys them.
Wendy says
how long will canned (sealed jars) of pickled green tomatoes be good for?
★★★★★
Laurie Neverman says
Ball now says their seals are officially good for 18 months. I try to use canned goods up within 2 years. Much beyond that, and the quality starts to decline. (Color fades, they get softer, etc.)
Peggy says
Hi Laurie, I love ‘tomolives’ and am wondering if using cherry tomatoes in this recipe would be similar. I plan on trying it this year but wondered if you’ve had any previous experience using green cherry tomatoes whole in this recipe? Thanks!
Laurie Neverman says
Ripe cherry tomatoes can be used, but they will get softer during processing.