Quick Summary: Crisp, garlicky pickled green tomatoes in a classic dill brine with whole spices, ready to eat in 24 hours. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to a month, or water bath can the same recipe for the pantry. Works with unripe end-of-season tomatoes, green cherry tomatoes, or green heirlooms like Aunt Ruby’s and Green Zebra. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 10 min | Makes: 7 pints
Jump to: RECIPE | Are they safe? | Green Varieties | Canning vs Refrigerator Pickles | Key Ingredients | How to Serve | FAQ
Every fall at my Minnesota farm (Heathglen Farm), I end up with green tomatoes that won’t ripen before frost. Quick pickling is my favorite solution.
The refrigerator version needs no canning equipment, is ready in 24 hours, and keeps for a month. If you have a bigger haul, the same brine can be water bath canned so the jars keep on the pantry shelf all winter.
This guide covers which green tomatoes work best (including heirloom varieties that stay green when ripe), whether unripe tomatoes are safe to eat (yes, they are), how to keep your pickles crunchy, and a tested dill and garlic recipe you can refrigerate or can.
Are Quick Pickled Green Tomatoes Safe to Eat?
Yes. Unripe green tomatoes and ripe green heirloom varieties are both safe to pickle and eat. There are two types of green tomatoes, though, and it helps to know which one you have.
First off, you’ve got your green heirloom tomatoes.
As described in this guide to heirloom tomato flavor profiles by color, these are (almost) entirely green in color even when they’re ripe. A bit confusing if you’re not used to them, but they taste fantastic and can absolutely safely be eaten raw with no risk of a belly ache.
Unripe Red Tomatoes and Green Cherry Tomatoes
If you came here because the tomato season was coming to an end and you had to pick unripe tomatoes from your plant(s), that’s obviously what you’ve got on hand right now. These unripe red tomatoes will be very firm and are usually more uniform in color.
You may have heard that the latter version, the unripe red tomato, isn’t safe to eat raw because it contains toxic alkaloids. This would make it unsafe to quick pickle, also known as refrigerated pickled green tomatoes. The good news? It’s a myth!
As mentioned in the New York Times, among other places, green tomatoes are safe to eat raw (although if you’re sensitive to acidic foods, take it easy).
They are also safe to use for a quick pickled tomatoes. They do contain alkaloids, but those are not toxic.
How to Keep Pickled Green Tomatoes Crunchy
Mushy pickles are the most common complaint with green tomatoes, and most of it comes down to the tomato you start with.
- Pick before frost. Once frost hits the vines, the fruit starts breaking down even if it still looks firm and green.
- Choose tomatoes that are firm but not rock hard. Very young tomatoes taste bitter, and soft ones fall apart in the brine.
- Pickle within a day or two of picking.
- Cut halves or quarters. Larger pieces hold their texture better than thin slices.
- Pour the hot brine over raw tomatoes. Never simmer the tomatoes in the brine.
- For extra snap, add 1/8 teaspoon pickle crisp (calcium chloride) to each pint jar.
Canned pickles will always be a little softer than refrigerator pickles because of the heat from processing. If crunch matters most, make the refrigerator version.
Green Heirloom Tomato Varieties for Pickling
Use green heirloom varieties if you like pickles that are more nuanced in flavor. Just make sure and pick them while they are still firm so you don’t get mushy pickles.
Aunt Ruby’s is my favorite, although it is a beefsteak variety and is therefore pretty large. Green Giant is another large green heirloom that stays green all the way to ripening. Aunt Ruby’s and Green Giant would need to be chopped instead of sliced in order to fit it into most jars.
The great thing about quick pickling green tomatoes is that it really doesn’t matter much what type of tomato you use.
There will be some difference in flavor between unripe tomatoes vs green heirloom tomatoes as well as between different tomato varieties, but all of them should turn out delicious.
A smaller green heirloom to consider is Green Zebra, which lends its name from its yellow-green striped appearance and is small enough to use sliced.
Green Zebra is a bit higher in acid than Aunt Ruby’s and so makes for a more robust tasting pickle.
Other green tomatoes you can grow at home for your green tomato pickles or may come across at your local farmer’s market include:
- Cherokee green
- Green giant
- Russian green
- Summertime Green Dwarf (not heirloom)
- Dwarf Jade Beauty (not heirloom)
- Grinch Cherry (not heirloom)
Quick pickling is one of the fastest preservation methods, but there are many more ways to put up your harvest. For a full overview from drying to fermenting to freezing, check out these 10 ways to preserve fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Unripe Red Tomatoes for Pickling?
Red varieties of tomatoes (hybrid or heirloom) that have not ripened yet are just unripe tomatoes and they are definitely in the mix for pickles.
If you’ve picked a big haul of unripe tomatoes or if you like your pickles quite firm, you’ll want to go for this unripe version.
Do remember that if you’re going to use unripe tomatoes for your pickled tomatoes, be sure to avoid the ones that are still very young and rock hard. They’re often too high in alkaloids to actually taste nice, even if they’re not toxic like some sources state.
Green unripe cherry tomatoes make some of the prettiest pickles in the jar. Leave them whole and poke each one with a toothpick or skewer so the brine can soak in. They use the same brine and spices as larger tomatoes.
Did you know? Another popular green member of the nightshade family that’s closely related to tomatoes is the tomatillo (also known as husk tomato). And yep… tomatillos are perfect for a quick pickle as well.
Refrigerator Pickles vs Canned Pickled Green Tomatoes
This recipe works both ways. The brine is equal parts 5% white vinegar and water, the same proportions as the Ball Blue Book’s tested recipe for dill green tomatoes. The vinegar is what makes them safe to can, since tomatoes on their own aren’t acidic enough.
Refrigerator pickles are ready in 24 hours, stay crunchier, and keep for about a month. No special equipment needed.
Canned pickles are shelf stable, which makes them the better choice for a big end-of-season haul. Process pint jars in a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes (adjust for altitude above 1,000 feet), then wait about four weeks before opening so the flavor develops. If you’re canning, keep the vinegar, water, salt, and tomato amounts exactly as written. The spices are flexible
**Tip: Looking for other ways to preserve your harvest? Pickling is a great way to make vegetables last much longer, but there are many other methods you can consider as well. Why not dehydrate them, for example, like with this salt & vinegar cucumber chips recipe?
What Ingredients Do You Need?
To make our quick pickled green tomatoes, we’ll be using pretty much the same ingredients as if we were going to can them:
- Green tomatoes: Use ones that are firm. You can go sliced or chopped, depending on what you’re planning on using your pickles for. Sliced ones are obviously a bit easier to use if you want to make sandwiches!
- Salt: One of the elements that makes it so that even a quick pickle can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month is salt. Use kosher salt or pickling salt for the best results.
- Vinegar: Another ingredient that makes our pickle last longer (and the one that gives it that tangy kick!) is vinegar. Standard white vinegar works perfectly.
- Water: Because if we’d use vinegar only, those pickles would turn out a little too pucker-worthy.
- Sugar: Just a little bit to take a bit of the edge off all that salt and vinegar.
- Spices: A lot of this is up to your own preferences, but you’ll find my favorite combination in the recipe below. A good pickle definitely needs a variety of spices, preferably whole. There’s classic dill, obviously, but don’t be afraid to get creative! Garlic is great to include for extra flavor. The same goes for whole peppercorns, mustard, coriander or celery seeds or even sliced ginger. I’ve even seen whole fennel flowers and fronds in jars of Eastern European pickles.
How Do You Use Pickled Green Tomatoes?
Aside from eating them straight out of the jar (guilty!), what can you do with green tomato pickles? Pickled green tomatoes have a ton of different uses. They taste fantastic in almost any recipe that calls for pickles.
Why not consider using green pickled tomatoes for:
- Tomato salads
- Chopped into a green tomato kimchi for a fermented twist
- Hot dogs and burgers
- Charcuterie boards
- Sandwiches
- Potato salads
- Vegetable bowls
- Garnishing a tomato martini
**Tip: Try these low carb fried green tomatoes if you don’t want to pickle all of your tomatoes.
How to Make Pickled Green Tomatoes.
Full instructions are in the recipe card below. In short, boil the brine, pack the green tomatoes into jars to within 1/2 inch of the rim, add the garlic, bay leaf, and spices, and pour the hot brine over the top.
For refrigerator pickles, cool the jars, refrigerate, and wait 24 hours before eating.
For canned pickles, process the jars in a boiling water bath instead.
Other Ways to Preserve Fruits & Vegetables
- Preserving Tomatoes as a Dried Tomato Powder
- Freezing Summer Tomatoes (plus freezer tomato sauce recipe)
- Preserving Fresh Herbs as Herbal Infused Salts
- Freezing Compound Butters made with Fresh Herbs
- Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread for Cheese Trays & Sandwiches
- Homemade Dandelion Jelly
- Salt & Vinegar Cucumber Chips
- Quick & Easy Pickled Onions
- How to Make Shrub Syrups (cold process vs. hot)
- Sun dried tomato butter
Check out this collection of popular tomato recipes for a range of tomato recipes, from fresh salsas to slow cooked stews, to tomato martinis.
FAQ
Yes. The myth that green tomatoes are toxic is false. They contain alkaloids, but not toxic ones. Raw green tomatoes are safe, though some people with acid sensitivity should eat them in moderation.
For pickles with nuanced flavor, use green heirloom varieties like Aunt Ruby’s German Green or Green Zebra. For firmer pickles, use unripe red tomatoes. Both work well.
Refrigerator pickles keep up to one month and are ready after 24 hours. Canned jars keep on the pantry shelf for up to a year.
Yes. The brine is half 5% vinegar and half water, so this recipe can be processed in a boiling water bath. Process pint jars for 10-15 minutes, adjusted for altitude, and wait about four weeks before opening. Canned jars keep on the shelf for up to a year but will be a little softer than the refrigerator version.
Dill, garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, celery seed, and bay leaves are classic. Coriander, red pepper flakes, and allspice add variety. Experiment based on your preferences.
Burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, potato salads, or straight from the jar. They work anywhere you’d use regular pickles.
Yes. Grocery store green tomatoes are usually unripe red varieties, and they work well for pickling. Look for firm tomatoes without soft spots. Farmers market green tomatoes often include heirloom green varieties like Green Zebra, which have more complex flavor.
Pickled green tomatoes are an old fashioned Southern staple, a traditional way to use up the last tomatoes before frost. They show up on charcuterie boards, alongside fried fish, and on sandwiches. That said, green tomato pickles appear in Eastern European, Russian, and Appalachian food traditions too. The concept crosses a lot of cultures.
The pickles themselves are low carb. Green tomatoes are naturally low in sugar, and the brine adds only a tablespoon of sugar across 7 pints. They make a great low carb condiment for burgers, sandwiches, or snacking straight from the jar.
Usually the tomatoes were frost damaged, too ripe, or sat too long after picking. Thin slices and simmering the tomatoes in the brine also soften them. Use firm tomatoes picked before frost, cut them in halves or quarters, and pour the hot brine over them raw.
Yes. Leave them whole and poke each one with a toothpick so the brine soaks in. Use the same brine and spices as the recipe.
If you want to grow your own tomatoes for recipes like this, The Tomato Workbook for Beginners, covers everything from seed starting to harvest, with variety recommendations for different cooking uses.
You can purchase a digital copy from this website, or purchase a print copy from Amazon. Both are $11.95.
Refrigerator Pickled Green Tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 5 Pounds green tomatoes Halved, quartered or sliced
- 3 ½ Cups white vinegar
- 3 ½ Cups water
- ¼ Cup Pickling or canning salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 6-7 garlic cloves
- 6-7 bay leaves
- ¼ Cup celery seed
- ¼ Cup dried dillweed or dill seeds
- 1-3 Teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
- ¼ Cup mustard seeds
- ¼ Cup coriander seeds or allspice optional
- ⅛ teaspoon pickle crisp (calcium chloride) per pint jar optional
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the tomatoes and then slice or cube them, depending on the size of the jar and the size of the tomato (large tomatoes won’t fit neatly into small mouth canning jars). A wide-mouth 1-quart mason jar is best if you have it, but cube the tomatoes if all you have is a small-mouth jar.5 Pounds green tomatoes
- In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar Bring to a boil over high heat stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat.3 1/2 Cups white vinegar, 3 1/2 Cups water, 1/4 Cup Pickling or canning salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Pack tomatoes into hot jars to within 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch of top of jar. Add 1 clove garlic and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Divide the rest of the spices into 7 portions and add one portion to each jar (the recipe makes 6-8 pint jars).So this would be a little dill seed, celery seed, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of black peppercorns and a bit of mustard seeds added to each jar.Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover tomatoes leaving 1/2 inch headspace.Remove air bubbles by lightly letting jar drop on counter,and adjust headspace, if needed, by adding hot pickling liquid.Wipe rim and tightly screw on lid. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating. Keeps up to 1 month refrigerated.6-7 garlic cloves, 6-7 bay leaves, 1/4 Cup celery seed, 1/4 Cup dried dillweed or dill seeds, 1-3 Teaspoons dried red pepper flakes, 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns, 1/4 Cup mustard seeds, 1/4 Cup coriander seeds or allspice
- To can instead of refrigerating: Screw the bands on fingertip tight and place the jars in a boiling water bath canner with water covering the lids by 1 to 2 inches. Process pints for [X] minutes, adjusting for altitude. Let the jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours, check the seals, and wait about 4 weeks before opening.
Really excellent introduction to Pickled Green Tomatos and how to. They came out fantastic, though have to agree wish they lasted longer. Thank you.
I hear you! I think next year I will grow a few more green varieties specifically for this. I’ve always used Aunt Rubys and green zebra, but I hear Evergreen and Green Giant are good options also. My first seed catalog came today!
Love these “pickles”. Wish they would last longer.
Haha, As do I Suzy!
Can you water bath can this recipe?
This brine matches tested canning recipes for green tomatoes, so yes, you can water bath can these. I’ve added canning instructions to the recipe card.
@dorothy stainbrook,
Thanks for the info.
You bet! Thank you for leaving a comment.
That sounds really good! I barely have any tomatoes again, but maybe they’ll start coming in. Probably not, they are getting so hot I have tomato sauce on the vine.
Yes, parts of the country (and world) are getting so hot that it may indeed impact tomato growth. As I understand it the perfect temperature for tomato growth is 75 degrees F. Haven’t seen many 75 degree days here in Minnesota this summer!