Pickled green tomatoes are a delicious and tangy treat that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Whether you prefer them quick-pickled or canned for long-term storage, these crispy and tart green tomatoes are a versatile ingredient that can add a delightful pop of flavor to your meals.
A great way, some would argue the best way, to preserve green tomatoes is to make green tomato pickles. While many people take their green tomatoes at the end of the year and ripen them indoors or make fried green tomatoes, these pickled delights are even better.
With a unique, tangy, salty, sweet flavor they're the ultimate condiment you didn't even know you were missing. Sure to impress your tastebuds, they'll be something you add to the list of things to make every year.
What Tomatoes to Use for Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe
Firm, unripe green tomatoes of any size will work for pickling. Perfect for those green, unripe red tomatoes left in your garden right before the first frost hits and kills the vines.
This recipe is not intended for green heirloom tomatoes that are green when ripe such as green zebras. Those tomatoes are squishier and juicier than an unripe red tomato and are not suitable for pickling.
Again, any unripe red tomato will work for this recipe. The smaller tomatoes work better than the larger varieties. Pickling unripe green cherry tomatoes works super well, just cut them in half or pierce them with a fork and use them!
Larger varieties, such as beef steak tomatoes that have grown their full size will work, as long as they are unripe, but they won't work as well as smaller tomatoes that you can halve or quarter.
Ingredients for Pickled Green Tomatoes
Geen Tomatoes - to can you'll use 5 pounds, this will make six to seven pint jars. You can halve the recipe or even quarter it to make quick pickles if you want.
Onion - sliced onion adds a wonderful flavor to both varieties of these green tomato pickles, but you can omit it if you'd like. Sweet onions, red onions, or even yellow onions will work.
Distilled White Vinegar - you can substitute apple cider vinegar if you choose, this will give your pickles a brown cast, though. Any type of vinegar that is 5% acidity can be substituted.
Water - this is used to dilute the brine slightly. This is made with a 50/50 mix so you'll add equal amounts of vinegar and water, regardless of how much brine you use.
Pickling Salt - This helps flavor the pickles, but it also inhibits bacterial growth.
Granulated Sugar - you can omit it from either recipe if you'd like, but it really helps improve the flavor and I find it essential for both garlic dill and bread and butter brines, but especially the bread and butter pickled green tomatoes.
Pickling spices of your choosing: for garlic dill pickled green tomatoes you'll need either fresh dill or dill seed, pickling spice, yellow mustard seed, black peppercorns, and garlic cloves.
For bread and butter pickled green tomatoes you'll need yellow mustard seed, celery seed, ground turmeric, allspice berries, whole cloves, and red pepper flakes.
Pickle Crisp - this is optional if you choose to can your green tomato pickles, it can help them stay crisper.
How to Make Quick Pickled Green Tomatoes
This quick pickled green tomato recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. These refrigerator pickles are a quick pickle variation that doesn't require any canning.
No special equipment is needed and they will keep for up to one month in the refrigerator. You can see the full recipe and steps in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Wash Jars Wash glass jars in hot, soapy water and let them air dry. Alternatively, run them through the dishwasher. This helps remove any bacteria from the jar.
Step 2: Make the Brine To make garlic dill brine combine yellow mustard seed, black peppercorns, dill seed, granulated sugar, salt, and pickling spice with vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, allowing the sugar and salt to dissolve.
To make bread and butter brine combine salt, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, allspice berries, whole cloves, and turmeric with vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stirring until the sugar and salt dissolves.
Remove the chosen brine from heat and set it aside while you complete the next step.
Step 3: Prepare the Tomatoes slice the green tomatoes into wedges or halves, depending on the size, and remove the stem end. Dice up onion, if using, and remove paper from garlic if using.
Step 4: Pack Jars Pack onion (if using), garlic if making garlic dill, and green tomato wedges tightly into jars.
Step 4: Add Brine After jars are packed, pour the brine over the tomatoes, making sure everything is adequately covered. Put a lid on the jar and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 24-72 hours before enjoying. The longer they sit, the better they will be.
Pickled Green Tomato Canning Recipe
If you prefer a shelf stable option, these green tomato pickles can be water bath canned! The process to make them this way is essentially the same. If you want them to be more crisp after the canning process, you can add pickle crisp to the jars.
Step 1: Prepare jars, lids, and canner. Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Fill ⅔rds full with water and place in a water bath canner with a rack on the bottom and fill it with water. Bring the pot of jars to a simmer of 180°F and keep them warm while you prepare the recipe.
Step 2: Prepare the Pickle Brine. In a large saucepan, combine chosen spices with vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure the sugar and salt is dissolved. Keep the mixture warm while you prepare the vegetables and pack the jars.
Step 3: Prepare the Vegetables. Slice onion, if using, halve or quarter green tomatoes, making sure they're small, and remove paper from garlic if you're using it.
Step 4: Pack jars. Pack hot jars tightly with onion and garlic, if using, and green tomatoes. Carefully pour hot brine over tomatoes, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, and adjust for proper headspace, if necessary.
Wipe rim of jar, center lid, finger tighten ring.
Step 5: Process Jars in Water Bath Canner Place packed jars in a boiling water canner, making sure the tops of the jars are covered with at least an inch of water. Place the lid on the canner and bring it to a boil. Process pint jars for 15 minutes adjusting processing time for altitude.
Turn off the heat after processing and remove the lid from the canner. Allow the jars to sit for five minutes before removing to a towel-lined counter. Allow the jars to sit for 12-24 hours before checking for a proper seal.
Store jars with rings removed, in a cool, dark place for a week before enjoying. Jars will keep 18+ months, properly stored.
How to Use Pickled Green Tomatoes
- Directly from the jar. These are delicious straight from the jar! You could also add them to a charcuterie board!
- On burgers and hot dogs. These are the perfect alternative to traditional dill pickles or bread and butter pickles. Try them on our best burger recipe or my all-time favorite venison burger.
- Fried fish. These pickles are fantastic alongside some fried bluegill.
- With beans and cornbread. Serve them with some hot bean soup and a slice of skillet cornbread.
More Pickling Recipes to Try:
- Pickled Brussels Sprouts (Frog Balls)
- Easy Honey Pickled Carrots
- The Best Pickled Green Beans Recipe (Dilly Beans)
If you try these pickled green tomatoes, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, I’d love it if you would leave me a recipe review on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram with your recipe creations @therusticelk!
📖 Recipe
Pickled Green Tomatoes
Pickled green tomatoes are a delicious blend of pickling spices and unripe tomatoes. Simple to make and a delight to eat. This is a dish you must try.
Ingredients
Basic Pickled Green Tomato Ingredients
- 5 Pounds Green Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Onion Slices (optional)
- 3 Cups Distilled White Vinegar
- 3 Cups Water
- ⅓ Cup Pickling Salt
- Pickle Crisp, divided, optional for canning
Bread & Butter Spice Blend
- 1 ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon Celery Seeds
- 3 tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seed
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Allspice Berries
- ½ teaspoon Whole Cloves
Garlic Dill Spice Blend
- 3 ½ tablespoon Dill Seeds (or add one sprig to each jar when packing)
- 6 Garlic Cloves, peeled, crushed
- 2 teaspoon Black Peppercorn
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Pickling Spice
- 2 teaspoon Mustard Seed
Instructions
- Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher. If canning, prepare the water bath canner. If making refrigerator pickles, allow the jars to air dry.
- Prepare the brine by combining vinegar, water, pickling salt, and desired pickle spice blend in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir, allowing the sugar and salt to dissolve.
- Allow the brine to cool slightly if making quick pickles, or keep it hot if making canned pickles. Prepare the vegetables by quartering or halving green tomatoes, removing the stem end and dicing up the onion if using removing paper from garlic and slightly crushing, if using.
- Pack onion if using, green tomatoes, garlic, and fresh dill (if using) into jars. If canning, you can add pickle crisp if desired.
- Pour the brine over the green tomatoes, if canning leave ½" of headspace, make sure the tomatoes are covered and remove any air bubbles.
- If making quick pickles, put the lid on the jars allow the jars to come to room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before enjoying.
- If canning, wipe the rim of the jar, center the lid, and finger-tighten the ring.
- Place jars in the waiting water bath canner, making sure the tops of the jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Put the lid on the canner and bring to a boil. Process pint jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary.
- Remove the jars from the canner after waiting 5 minutes. Test seals after 24 hours. Remove the rings and let the jars sit in a cool, dark place for at least one week before enjoying.
Notes
Altitude adjustments:
0-1,000 feet Pints: 15 Minutes
1,001-6,000 feet Pints: 20 Minutes
6,001 feet + Pints: 25 Minutes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
80Serving Size:
¼ CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 43Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 29mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
Priscilla says
This looks great. I love tomato pickles with peas, beans, or fried catfish. This recipe looks awesome.
How many pints or quarts of pickles will this make?
Thanks!
Priscilla.
Danielle McCoy says
This will yield roughly 5 quarts or 10 pint jars.
Hailey says
Can I use regular white vinegar for this?! I just cannot stand the taste of apple cider vinegar so we usually substitute!!
Thanks!
Danielle McCoy says
You sure can!
Cassandra Brecht says
I only have a few pints' worth of cherry tomatoes that I would like to use your recipe for. Is this recipe scaleable down? Also, I'd rather not can them and leave them as refrigerator pickles...any changes I should make for that?
Thanks so much!
Danielle McCoy says
Yes, you can scale it down since all you're doing is pouring the brine over the tomatoes. You just need to wash your jars, pour the brine in, and place them in the refrigerator. I'd allow them to sit a minimum of 48 hours before eating. They'll keep for about a month this way.
Beatrix says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Is there any reason to not use whole small cherry tomatoes? Any reason that they must be cut aside from perhaps better flavor absorption?
Danielle McCoy says
I would cut the cherry tomatoes in half, yes it is going to provide better flavor for your tomatoes, the skin is so thick, especially on green tomatoes that the flesh won't be very pickled.
Debra says
Love your recipes
Leslie Lemieux says
Can't wait to try this recipe out
Mae says
Are these still crisp after water bath canning? I like to have a little crunch to my pickle and am worried that they will become too soft after 15 minutes of processing time. I’m asking because I want to try this out, but also don’t want to get my hopes up too high if you know what I mean.
Danielle McCoy says
Any home canned pickle is going to be less crispy than a store-bought pickle, that's just the nature of things, unfortunately. You can add pickle crisp to each pint at approximately 1/8th of a teaspoon per quart before adding anything else to the jar, it will help.
Everett says
Tried the recipe last year, was disappointed w/ mushy tomatoes, and and not a lot of garlic/dill flavor. suggestions for this season? thanks
Danielle McCoy says
Home canned pickles of any kind are typically mushier than store-bought. That being said, make sure the tomatoes you're using are still very firm, they should be since they're green but make sure, and you can add pickle crisp to each jar to help keep some of the crunch. You'll add approximately 1/8th of a teaspoon to each pint before putting anything else in the jar.
To get more garlic and dill flavor, you can add more to the brine mixture and it will still be safe to can and be sure you're letting them sit for a few weeks before eating and shake them up when you open them. Hope these tips help.
Jacqueline says
I just got them in my Water bath Canner. They look awesome! Thanks for this recipe. I had so many green tomatoes!
Danielle McCoy says
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Bruce Sokol says
Can I cut this recipe in half? And how long should I process 1/2 pint jars?
Danielle McCoy says
You can cut it in half. Half-pints would still need to be processed for 15 minutes.
Judy David says
Why do these need water bathed? My mom never water bathed pickles, as the vinegar prevented spoilage. Also, shouldn’t I use 5% vinegar?
Danielle McCoy says
Water bathing makes these pickles shelf-stable by killing any potential pathogens when heated. Without the water bath, they aren't shelf stable and would need to be kept in the refrigerator. Apple cider vinegar as well as regular distilled vinegar contains a minimum of 5% acetic acid and is perfectly safe for pickling.
Rose says
how do I make a small batch of bread and butter tomatos
Danielle McCoy says
You can halve the recipe.
Toni says
Hello from Edmonton Alberta Canada 🙂
We had to race against the clock last Saturday(its Wednesday night as I write this) and I'd love to try to pickle my green tomatoes. I have a ton left that are too small to slice for frying. We had to get them before the frost did, and i just have not, and will not, have time to do anything with them before this Saturday. Some have been sitting covering my kitchen table and are being eaten as they ripen. My question is as long as they are not ripe and are still very green, can I still pickle? Or would it be a better idea to just be ready next year and make jam this year? I'm thinking a water bath canning process would just make them squishy if they're already getting soft. Appreciate the help!!!!
Danielle McCoy says
You can pickle them as long as they are green, if they're not firm, they won't be particularly green (in my experience). They don't star super firm after water bathing, but firmer than a red tomato, if that makes sense. You can always pickle a few as quick pickles and put them in the fridge to see if you like them, they will stay more firm that way, they just won't last as long. That way you can see if you like them and pickle more next year. Or, if you have a ton and really want long-term storage, they'll be fine as long as they are green.
Toni says
@Danielle McCoy, I think I'll try. There are still enough of them that are very firm that I should be able to get a decent batch. Seriously interested in trying these 🙂
Toni says
@Danielle McCoy, I got them done!!!! Doesn’t look like I can add a picture from my phone though. They look beautiful. I’m hoping they taste as good as they look. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!!!!
Danielle McCoy says
You can on social, but not on here. So glad you had a chance to make them, enjoy!
Anne says
Hi there - would you recommend yellow or black mustard seed for the bread and butter version of this recipe?
Thanks!
Danielle McCoy says
Hi Anne, I would recommend yellow mustard seed as it is milder.
Phyllis says
Neighbor had a 5 gallon bucket of different sized green tomatoes. Recipe was "easy" and no trouble for canning so we can enjoy these in the middle of winter. I used the Bread and Butter spices and they are good, but I think next fall I will try plain sugar instead as I do not like that they look brown inside the canning jar. P.S. only used the small ones for pickling, the big ones for canning sliced green tomatoes for frying, and then the medium ones for Pomodoro Verdi sauce.
Danielle McCoy says
Plain sugar will work fine in these, the flavor will just have a bit less molasses to it. Glad you enjoyed them! The small ones are perfect for pickling.
L says
Why are the spices left dyed twice in these recipes?
Danielle McCoy says
It was a glitch on the recipe card itself, I think I fixed it.
Donna says
I made some with jalapeño and dill. Why did I have what looked like a milky color after they were sealed and setting 2 days? I didnt know if I need to throw them out. They sealed great.
Danielle McCoy says
It's great that your pickled green tomatoes sealed well! The milky color you're seeing is not uncommon and can often be due to a few factors that don't necessarily mean your pickles have gone bad.
Water Quality: If you used hard water, the minerals in it can sometimes cause a cloudy or milky appearance. Using distilled or filtered water in future batches can help avoid this.
Table Salt: If you used table salt instead of pickling or kosher salt, that could also contribute to cloudiness. Table salt contains additives like anti-caking agents, which can cause a milky look in pickling brine.
Since your jars sealed properly and there's no unusual odor or signs of spoilage, the cloudiness is likely harmless. In the future, you could try using pickling salt and filtered water to see if that helps with clarity.