Marilyn Martin's Recipe

Green Tomato Pickles

Category: Recipes

Green Tomato Pickle

Makes about 6 pints

This is a delicious and resourceful use for those end of season tomatoes that are still green and may not ripen before the first frost.

Ingredients:
4 pounds fleshy green tomatoes
2 quarts water
1 quart cider vinegar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup gralunated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
3/4 pound onions, sliced into rounds (about 2 cups)

Directions:
1. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a large non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, both sugars, salt and mustard seeds. Tie the other spices together in a piece of cheesecloth and add it to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugars and salt.

2. Add the tomatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring the vegetables to push them under the liquid.

3. Remove the spice bag, then ladle the vegetables and pickling liquid into pint mason jars, leaving a 1/2-inch of headspace. Close the jars with two-piece caps, and process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

4. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating. After opening a jar, store it in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from The Joy of Pickling courtesy of Harvard Common Press (2009).