Pickled Green Tomatoes with Garlic and Dill Seed

Name: Pickled Green Tomatoes with Garlic and Dill Seed
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 32 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) firm green tomatoes, washed, cored, small ones left whole and larger ones cut into ½-inch-thick (1.25 cm) wedges; 8 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, peeled and left whole (2 per jar); 4 tsp (10 g) dill seed; 4 tsp (12 g) yellow mustard seed; 2 tsp (5 g) whole black peppercorns; 1 tsp (2 g) red pepper flakes, divided, ¼ tsp per jar (optional); 2½ cups (600 ml) distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity; 2½ cups (600 ml) water; 3 tbsp (54 g) pickling or canning salt; 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Firm, tangy green tomato wedges packed in a garlicky, dill-and-mustard-seed vinegar brine. They're a good way to use the last tomatoes before frost. Can them for the pantry, or skip the canner and keep a jar in the fridge.

Prep: 55 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 7.5 days
Total: 7.6 days
Makes: 4 pint jars (about 32 servings of 3–4 wedges)

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Ingredients

32 servings

For the jars
3 lb (1360 g) firm green tomatoes, washed, cored, small ones left whole and larger ones cut into ½-inch-thick (1.25 cm) wedges
8 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, peeled and left whole (2 per jar)
4 tsp (10 g) dill seed
4 tsp (12 g) yellow mustard seed
2 tsp (5 g) whole black peppercorns
1 tsp (2 g) red pepper flakes, divided, ¼ tsp per jar (optional)
For the brine
2½ cups (600 ml) distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity
2½ cups (600 ml) water
3 tbsp (54 g) pickling or canning salt
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar

Equipment (9)

Boiling-water canner or deep stockpot (at least 10 inches / 25 cm tall) with a rack
4 pint (16 oz / 475 ml) canning jars with new two-piece lids
Non-reactive saucepan, 3-quart (3 L) or larger (stainless steel or enamel)
Jar lifter
Canning funnel (wide-mouth)
Bubble remover or clean wooden chopstick, and a ruler for headspace
Sharp knife and cutting board
Clean cloths or paper towels
Kitchen timer

Steps

Before you start

Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and do not dilute it more than the recipe says. The acid level is what makes the jars safe to can.
Choose hard, fully green tomatoes with no blush, soft spots or splits. Small ones (1½–2 inches / 4–5 cm) can go in whole. Larger ones should be cut into wedges.
Use pickling or canning salt, or fine kosher salt without additives. Iodized salt can cloud the brine.
Wash 4 pint jars in hot soapy water and rinse them. Keep them hot until you fill them. Use new lids and reuse the screw bands.
The pickles need 1 week to cure before eating. Plan on about 1½ hours of work today, plus overnight cooling.

1
Heat canner and jarsOven 180°F / 80°C
- Put the rack in the canner and set 4 clean pint jars on it.
- Fill the canner and jars with hot water until the jars are covered by 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
- Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat, about 180°F (82°C).
- Keep the jars hot in the water until you fill them.
- Put the 4 new lids in a small pan of hot water, not boiling, to soften the sealing compound.
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Ready when: Water is steaming with small bubbles at the pan edges but is not at a full boil.
Tip: Jars that go in cold can crack when hot brine hits them, so keep them hot.
2
Cut the tomatoes
- Wash the tomatoes and cut out the stem cores.
- Leave tomatoes up to 2 inches (5 cm) across whole.
- Cut larger tomatoes into ½-inch-thick (1.25 cm) wedges.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
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Ready when: Pieces are uniform enough to pack snugly in a pint jar and none are soft or blushing.
Tip: Prick whole tomatoes once with a skewer so the brine can get inside.
3
Boil the brine
- In a non-reactive 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, pickling salt and sugar.
- Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Reduce the heat to low to keep it hot.
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Ready when: The brine is at a rolling boil and clear, with no grains of salt or sugar at the bottom.
Tip: Do not use aluminum or cast iron. The vinegar reacts with them.
4
Pack the jars
- Lift one hot jar from the canner and pour the water back into the canner.
- Into the jar put 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dill seed, 1 tsp mustard seed, ½ tsp peppercorns and, if you like, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes.
- Pack in the tomatoes tightly, with the cut sides facing the glass if you want them to show.
- Leave at least ½ inch (1.25 cm) of space below the rim.
- Repeat with the remaining 3 jars.
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Ready when: Tomatoes are snug enough that they don't shift when you tilt the jar, but not crushed.
Tip: Tomatoes shrink slightly in the brine. If you pack them loosely, they will float.
5
Add brine, remove bubbles
- Place the funnel on a jar and ladle the hot brine over the tomatoes.
- Leave exactly ½ inch (1.25 cm) of headspace.
- Slide the bubble remover down the inside of the jar in 3–4 spots and press the tomatoes gently to release trapped air.
- Top up with brine to ½ inch (1.25 cm) if the level dropped.
- Fill all 4 jars the same way.
- If you run short, mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part water, bring it to a boil and use that.
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Ready when: Tomatoes are fully covered by brine, with ½ inch (1.25 cm) of headspace measured with a ruler.
Tip: Too much headspace can stop the jars from sealing. Too little can make the brine seep out.
6
Wipe rims, seal jars
- Dampen a clean cloth with a little white vinegar and wipe each jar rim to remove any brine or seeds.
- Center a lid on each jar and screw on a band just until fingertip-tight, which means it meets resistance and you stop.
- Do not force it.
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Ready when: Rims are clean and dry, and the bands are snug but not cranked down.
Tip: A sticky or seedy rim is the most common reason a jar fails to seal.
7
Process in canner
- With the jar lifter, lower the jars onto the canner rack, keeping them upright.
- The water should cover them by 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm).
- Add boiling water if needed.
- Cover and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
- Start timing only when the water boils.
- Process pints for 10 minutes at 0–1,000 ft (0–305 m) elevation, 15 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft (305–1,830 m), or 20 minutes above 6,000 ft (1,830 m).
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Ready when: The timer has finished with the water at a constant rolling boil the whole time.
Tip: If the boil stops at any point, bring it back to a boil and restart the full timer.
8
Rest in the canner
- Turn off the heat and remove the canner lid, lifting it away from you to avoid steam.
- Leave the jars in the hot water for 5 minutes.
- This helps stop the brine from siphoning out of the jars.
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Ready when: Water has stopped bubbling and no steam is billowing up.
9
Cool undisturbed
- Use the jar lifter to move the jars onto a towel-lined counter, with 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them, out of any draft.
- Don't tighten the bands or tilt the jars.
- Leave them for 12 to 24 hours.
- You will probably hear a ping as the lids seal.
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Ready when: The lid center is concave and doesn't flex when pressed.
Tip: Don't test the seals before 12 hours have passed.
10
Check seals and label
- Press the center of each lid.
- It should be firm and not click up and down.
- Remove the bands, then try lifting each jar by the edges of the lid.
- A properly sealed lid holds.
- Wipe the jars, label them with the date, and store them in a cool, dark place.
- Refrigerate any jar that didn't seal and eat it within 1 month.
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Ready when: Lids are concave and don't move when pressed, and the jar holds when lifted by the lid.
Tip: Store the jars without the bands so a hidden seal failure is easy to spot.
11
Cure before eating
- Leave the sealed jars in a cool, dark cupboard for at least 7 days (up to 2 weeks for the strongest flavor) before opening.
- During this time the brine penetrates the tomatoes and the garlic and spices mellow.
- Refrigerate after opening.
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Ready when: Tomato wedges have turned a slightly olive-green and taste tangy all the way through.
Tip: Tomatoes should stay firm. If they feel mushy or the brine looks cloudy, fizzy or smells off, throw the jar away without tasting.

Good to know

Tips

Don't use tomatoes that are starting to blush or turn red. They are softer and lower in acid, and they won't stay crisp.
For crunchier pickles, chill the cut tomatoes in ice water for 1 hour and drain well before packing. Do not process longer than the recipe says.
Do not reduce the vinegar or increase the water to make the pickles milder. The ratio is needed for safe canning.
Wear gloves when cutting if you add a fresh hot pepper, or use the red pepper flakes in the recipe for a gentle heat.

Make ahead

For a quick refrigerator version, skip the canner. Pack the jars, fill them with hot brine, cool them to room temperature with the lids on, then refrigerate. They are ready to eat after 3 days and keep for up to 1 month. For canned jars, you can cut the tomatoes and peel the garlic a day ahead and refrigerate them in a covered container.

Storage & reheating

Properly sealed, canned jars keep in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. For the best texture, eat them within 6 months. Refrigerate after opening and eat within 1 month. Refrigerator-only pickles keep for up to 1 month. Do not freeze, because the tomatoes turn mushy. Serve cold or at room temperature, straight from the jar.

Substitutions

distilled white vinegar, 5% acidity → apple cider vinegar, 5% acidity. Gives a slightly fruitier, milder flavor and a golden brine. Use the same amount and make sure the label says 5% acidity.
dill seed → 1 fresh dill head per jar. Tuck one into each jar instead of the dill seed. The flavor is brighter and more herbal.
granulated sugar → honey. Use 1½ tbsp (30 g). The brine will be a bit darker. You can also leave the sugar out for a sharper pickle.
yellow mustard seed → coriander seed. Use the same amount for a citrusy, slightly floral note.