Pickled Green Tomatoes

Last summer Carolyn and I grew a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes off of our balcony. Unfortunately this year we were not able to plant any because our new condo (yea!) does not have any growing space (boo!). Anyhow I was reminded of this great crop of tomatoes while I was combing through my photo archives and came across this one:

Pickled Green Tomatoes

At the end of last season we had a lot of tomatoes which unfortunately didn’t ripen. So in an effort to make some Lemonade from these “lemons”, I searched for a recipe that used green tomatoes. I came across this great recipe for pickling green tomatoes and thought I should give it a shot, seeing as how I love pickles and all. The pickling brine has a lot of the same flavorings that go into Italian dressing. These little pickles taste great on sandwiches.

I didn’t have all the ingredients like mint and basil, so I subbed in some oregano and thyme. I also didn’t have 1 pound so I down converted it a bit. My version came out great so I would be afraid to experiment as long as you stay with the Italian theme for the brine flavorings. I also was lazy and didn’t do any of that jar boiling and sanitizing. I did give everything a good scrubbing though.

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Italian Farmhouse Green Tomato Pickle

From: The Splendid Table

  • 1 pound green tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 pieces sun-dried tomatoes (not under oil), soaked and minced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh hot red chile
  • 6 mint leaves, chopped
  • 12 basil leaves, minced
  • about 4 cups white wine vinegar (must be 7 percent acid)
  • about 1/2 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil

Note: Tomatoes keep 6 months in the refrigerator as long as they are totally covered with vinegar after each use.

  1. In a china or glass bowl combine tomatoes and salt, cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Turn into a sieve and rinse briefly under cold, running water. Toss tomatoes with garlic, chile, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs.
  2. Collect small jars and lids adding up to about 4 cups capacity. Wash them in hot soapy water, then immerse in water in a large pot. Bring lids and jars to a simmer, lift out with tongs and fill with tomato mixture to within 1 inch of jar’s lip. Add enough vinegar to cover, topping off with a little oil. Seal, cool, and refrigerate.
  3. Marinate 4 days before serving. Top off with more vinegar and seal after each serving.

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