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pickled tomatoes in jars
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Refrigerator Pickled Green Tomatoes

Green tomatoes become tart, crisp pickles to be enjoyed with sandwiches, pizza and more!
Cook Time1 hour
Refrigeration Time3 days
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

Ingredients

  • 2½ pounds green tomatoes washed cut in half if cherry tomatoes, cut in wedges if large tomatoes

Dill (Sour) Marinade*

  • 1½ cups apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar
  • 1½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons dill weed or dill seed
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic sliced

Bread & Butter Marinade (sweet & sour)*

  • 2 cups cider vinegar or distilled vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar**
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • 1-2 shallots

Instructions

Prepare your jars

  • run jars and lids through the dishwasher OR
  • put them in the sink and pour boiling water over them. Then place them upside down in a dishrack or kitchen towel on the counter to drain for a few minutes.  Then flip the jars to let them air dry.

Prepare the vegetables

  • Peel and slice the garlic
  • Peel and slice the shallots. 
  • Separate the shallots into rings.  
  • Rinse the tomatoes well.
  • Pick over the tomatoes,  cutting out any bad spots.
  • For cherry tomatoes, slice the tomatoes in half. For larger tomatoes, cut into wedges.
  • Place cut tomatoes in prepared jars, adding shallots, onions or garlic interspersed (if using). Leave about an inch of space at the top of the jar so that the brine can cover the tomatoes

Preparing the brine ***

  • Place the vinegar, water, sugar (depending on which recipe), and spices into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  If using sugar, stir frequently until sugar dissolves. 
  • Pour the brine over the pickles.  Seal the jars.
  • Let cool for a couple of hours at room temperature and refrigerate.
  • You can start eating pickles in about 3 days, but the flavor will grow much more pronounced over the first couple of weeks.

Notes

  • * Use the dill OR the bread and butter marinade.  To use both, you will need 5 pounds of tomatoes.
  • * 1/2 cup sugar will make fairly tart pickles.  You might want to add more sugar if you want sweeter pickles.  Or you can use 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water.
  • *** It is always hard to know exactly how much brine to prepare.  See blog post for options.