Quick Green Tomato Pickles
Here’s a quick pickle recipe that may be new to you: Quick green tomato pickles, made with the unripe green tomatoes in your garden. The pickles are crunchy and tart; a fun and interesting recipe to add to your pickle repertoire.
I don’t have a garden – I just got curious when I spotted this recipe in The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. I’d never thought to pickle an unripe tomato before, but the more I read, the more I wanted to try it myself.
For those looking to get into pickling, this book is ESSENTIAL. I made freezer pickles last year (and am making them again this year). And there are about 30 other pickle recipes I’ve earmarked for later.
For this quick green tomato pickle recipe, you don’t need a canner, a water bath, or a garden’s worth of green tomatoes to make this work. This recipe requires about 20 minutes of hands-on time. And in 24 hours, you’ve got a tangy, crunchy snack or condiment ready to eat. No canning required.
Preserving food isn’t just a nostalgic, old-fashioned skill. It’s one of the most practical ways to stretch a grocery budget.
Another reason to make these pickles? In-season produce is almost always the cheapest it’ll be all year, and pickling, canning, or freezing lets you lock in that low price instead of paying more for it out of season later.
It also means less food waste: produce that might otherwise go soft or get tossed gets a second life as something you’ll actually reach for weeks (or months) later. A jar of quick pickles costs pennies compared to a specialty jar at the store.
What You’ll Need
- Green tomatoes: This recipes requires unripe green tomatoes that are firm and easily cut. If you don’t have any in your own garden, consider asking a local gardener or ask around at your local farmer’s market. I asked a local farmer’s market booth owner who sold me unripe tomatoes from her garden.
- Onions: You can use white or yellow onions for this recipe.
- Yellow mustard seeds: Available in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Pickling salt: Pickling salt has no additives or anti-caking agents, making it ideal for creating crystal-clear brine for pickles – and also prevents your pickled goods from turning dark.
- Sugar: Make sure to use white granulated sugar.
- Apple cider vinegar: Makes this recipe tangy and tart.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, if you like a little heat with your pickle.
My Favorite Way To Eat Green Tomato Pickles
This green pickle recipe is very tart and slightly sweet. I find them the ideal accompaniment to homemade sloppy joes. The sweet-tart pickle perfectly compliments the tomato-y, saucy ground beef mixture. I couldn’t stop adding them to my sandwich!
Green Tomato Pickles: Serving Suggestions
- Serve as a condiment for hamburgers
- Serve with your favorite sloppy Joes
- Add to a sandwich
- Serve alongside these oven-baked BBQ country style ribs
- Serve on a late-summer charcuterie board
- Chop up and use as a relish on a sandwich or to add to a pasta salad
The Process
As always, scroll down for the detailed recipe and ingredient amounts. But here is the process, in a nutshell:
- Cut green tomatoes and onions into thin slices – roughly 3/16-inch thick
- Add salt to the tomatoes, onions, and mustard seeds and let it sit overnight to release some of the liquic
- Drain; Pack into clean jars
- Pour simple brine over the tomato mixture
- Let sit 24 hours at room temperature – store in the fridge
- They’re ready to eat!
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Yield
This recipe makes 2 quarts or 4 pints of pickles. I prefer the smaller pint jars – but any size jar will do.
Try These Other Pickle Recipes
- Freezer pickles (a sweet pickle that is similar to a bread and butter refrigerator pickle but stored in the freezer)
- Cinnamon Christmas pickles (a sweet, red-hued pickle flavored and colored with a Red Hots brine)
- Watermelon rind pickles (made with the otherwise discarded watermelon rind)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are green tomatoes safe to eat?
A: Yes, completely. Green tomatoes are just unripe tomatoes – not a different variety or something spoiled – and they’re a totally normal thing to cook and eat. Fried green tomatoes are a Southern classic for a reason.
Q: Is this a canning recipe, or does it need to be refrigerated?
A: This is a refrigerator quick-pickle, not a shelf-stable canning recipe – no water bath, no special equipment, no canning experience required. That also means these need to stay in the fridge, not your pantry.
Q: How long do quick pickled green tomatoes last?
A: Several months in the fridge, stored in a sealed jar. They’ll actually taste better after the first day or two once the flavors have had a chance to soak in.
Q: Where do I find green tomatoes if I don’t have a garden?
A: Farmers markets are your best bet, and some grocery stores carry them seasonally, especially toward the end of summer. If you can’t track any down, ask a friend with a garden. Most gardeners have more green tomatoes at frost time than they know what to do with.
Q: What do green tomato pickles taste like?
A: These pickles are tart, crunchy, and slightly sweet. The vinegar brine adds an addictive tang and the green tomato itself lends an extra bit of sourness and bite.
Quick Green Tomato Pickles
These need to be stored in the fridge (not the pantry) and are ready to eat after 24 hours, though the flavor gets better the longer they sit.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. green tomatoes
- 1 1/2 lbs. white or yellow onions
- 1 1/2 teaspoons whole yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes and onions into thin slices, about 3/16-inch thick.
- Place tomatoes, onions, and mustard seeds in a large bowl or crock. Add salt and gently mix. Let stand at room temperature overnight - at least 8 hours.
- Drain the vegetables and pack into clean canning jars.
- Mix sugar, vinegar, and red pepper flakes (optional) until the sugar dissolves. Pour this solution over the vegetables in the jars. Cap tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Pickles will keep several months stored in the refrigerator.