This summer my middle kid fell in love with gardening. It was so sweet to watch, since she is named after mom mom, who was gardener at her core. Our luscious vegetable garden gave us so many amazing tomatoes that we used to make gazpacho soup, stuffed tomatoes, and cucumber tomato salad. And then this month we were left with tons of green tomatoes! Good thing they turn into the most perfect Pickled Green Tomatoes.
How to Pickle Green Tomatoes
Follow these few simple steps and you’ll have a big beautiful jar of pickled green tomatoes in no time! NOTE: The pickled green tomatoes can taste slightly bitter for the first couple of days. Try to hold off eating them or using them in any recipes until about day three to allow the flavors to enhance the tomatoes. YUM!
What Green Tomatoes to Look For
As you survey what’s left of your garden, this is the time to let those gorgeous green tomatoes shine!
Pick tomatoes that are firm, and totally green. Leave the ones starting to turn red alone.Gather all of those tiny green cherry tomatoes too, because you haven’t lived until you’ve tossed some pickled green cherry tomatoes on a salad.If you don’t have a garden, try finding green tomatoes at farmers’ markets. Typically regular grocery stores don’t sell them, but check out smaller grocery stores.Try hitting up neighbors who had summer gardens! I bet they will let you have their garden left overs if you promise them a jar of these.
Other Ingredients to Add
The beauty of this recipe is it’s simplicity. You can certainly spice up this recipe by throwing other ingredients in with the brine.
Dill (fresh or dry)Rosemary (fresh or dry)Garlic ClovesPeppercornsRed Pepper FlakesSmall Peppers (fresh or dry)Fresh Ginger Slices
How to Use Pickled Green Tomatoes
Pickled green tomatoes can be used in a million different ways! My family generally snacks on them right out of the jar, but here are some more creative ideas:
Use sliced pickled green tomatoes on burgers, or diced up on hot dogs.Mix them in potato salad.Add them to sandwiches or wraps.Make some toast, top with an egg and a few slices of pickled green tomatoes for a simple breakfast.Stir into homemade hummus or guacamole.
Other Easy Pickling Recipes
Pickling vegetables adds an extra tasty element to recipes. It is one of my favorite condiments. Try some of these easy and delicious pickling recipes:
Pickled JalapenosRefrigerator Pickled BeetsQuick Pickled Red Onions
Once you start pickling tomatoes, beets, onions, or cucumbers, it’s so fun to experiment with other things. I can’t wait for you to try these refrigerated pickled green tomatoes. Please leave a comment below if you have questions, I always love hearing from you. Now, go make a sandwich with some of these pickled green tomatoes on top, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
