Most folks I know have never heard of pickled green tomatoes. It’s one of those recipes that was born out of the desire to not waste anything. The old timer up the road gave me the recipe years ago after a strong storm blew over most of my cherry tomato plants before they had a chance to ripen.
He had stopped by to deliver a jar of moonshine (or, as he calls it, “special sauce”) and became irate with me when he saw that I had piled all of the downed plants in a wheelbarrow and was headed for the composite pile. So now, every year, I give him a couple jars of pickled green tomatoes and he gives me a jar of “special sauce,” which you can sip while dialing the poison control hotline or use to strip the paint off of a 1942 Studebaker.
Pickled Green Tomatoes
NOTE: I like to use green cherry tomatoes that are about the size of a quarter – they retain their crispiness better than larger ones. You can also change the amounts of garlic and jalapeno, according to your taste.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 – 3 quarts green cherry tomatoes
- 3-1/2 c water
- 1-1/4 c white vinegar
- 1-1/2 Tbsp pickling salt
- 20 – 24 garlic cloves
- 1 – 2 jalapenos, sliced
- 1/2 tsp dill weed PER JAR
DIRECTIONS
- Combine water, vinegar and pickling salt in small stockpot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt.
- Pack half-pint jars with 1-2 slices of jalapenos, 2-3 garlic cloves and green cherry tomatoes.
- Add 1/2 tsp dill weed to EACH jar.
- Pour hot brine into jars leaving 1/2″ head space.
- Process in a hot water bath (click here for instructions) for 10 minutes.
The Farmers in the Dell 