Simple and delicious recipes for pickled green tomatoes: how to cook them correctly and preserve them for the winter

Green tomatoes don’t have to be left to ripen in boxes under the sun. You can use them to prepare delicious preserves for winter. There are countless recipes: tomatoes pair wonderfully with herbs, onions, garlic, honey, horseradish, peppers, and even beetroot. Experiment by adding your favorite spices or stuffing them with vegetable mixes.

We’ve gathered over a dozen recipes for pickled green tomatoes. Below, you’ll find step-by-step guides with photos and useful tips from experienced home cooks.

Homemade Pickled Green Tomatoes

Not everyone has the time for elaborate winter preserves. After a long day in the garden, you might not have the energy for complex recipes. That’s why we’ve selected the most delicious yet simple recipes for pickled green tomatoes.

Classic Pickling Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 L water;
• medium-sized green tomatoes;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar (6%);
• 60 g salt;
• 80 g sugar;
• bay leaf;
• black peppercorns.

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry the tomatoes thoroughly. Avoid using overripe, mushy, or dry ones.
2. Sterilize the jars and boil the lids.
3. Pack the tomatoes into jars. Add a few herb sprigs if desired.
4. Bring water to a boil.
5. Just before boiling, add sugar, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Stir well.
6. Simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Add vinegar before removing from heat.
8. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes.
9. Cover the jars loosely with lids.
10. Sterilize for 30 minutes.
11. Seal the jars, turn them upside down, and leave for 24 hours.

This is a classic recipe for preserving green tomatoes. It’s simple, requires few ingredients, and results in flavorful pickles that pair perfectly with meat and potato dishes.

Quick Pickling Method

If you want to enjoy pickled tomatoes sooner, try this no-jar recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1.5–2 kg green tomatoes;
• 3 L water;
• 2 medium carrots;
• 1 small chili pepper;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• 2 tbsp salt;
• 5 tbsp sugar;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar;
• black peppercorns;
• 1–2 bay leaves.

Instructions:

1. Wash and slice the tomatoes into large wedges.
2. Grate the carrots.
3. Finely chop the garlic.
4. Dice the chili pepper.
5. Bring water to a boil.
6. Layer the vegetables in a large pot.
7. Pour boiling water over them and let sit for 15 minutes.
8. Drain the water, bring it back to a boil.
9. Add salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Stir well.
10. Once boiling, add vinegar.
11. Simmer for 3 minutes.
12. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables and seal tightly.
13. Ready to eat in 24 hours.

Note: Use a heatproof pot with a tight-fitting lid to avoid spills.

Fast Pickled Tomatoes with Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 5 kg large bell peppers;
• 5 kg green tomatoes;
• 4 garlic cloves;
• 1 large carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 2 tbsp salt;
• 2 cups sugar;
• 1 cup white wine vinegar;
• 1 cup sunflower oil.

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry all vegetables.
2. Peel and grate the carrot.
3. Cut the tops off the peppers, keeping the "lids."
4. Remove seeds and membranes from the peppers.
5. Blend the remaining vegetables into a fine mixture.
6. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and cover with the "lids."
7. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a wide pot.
8. Top with onion rings and herbs if desired.
9. Heat water with salt, sugar, oil, and vinegar.
10. Pour the hot brine over the peppers.
11. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately as a side dish or appetizer.

Pickled Tomatoes with Onion and Chili

A spicy option for heat lovers.

Ingredients:

• 3 L water;
• 1.5 kg green tomatoes;
• 3 onions;
• 2 chili peppers;
• 200 g salt;
• 280 g sugar;
• 500 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• cloves to taste;
• fresh herbs to taste;
• black peppercorns to taste.

Instructions:

1. Wash all vegetables.
2. Halve large tomatoes; pierce small ones with a fork.
3. Slice the chili peppers, removing stems.
4. Cut onions into rings.
5. Sterilize jars and lids.
6. Place cloves and peppercorns at the bottom.
7. Layer vegetables and herbs in jars.
8. Boil water with salt and sugar for 1 minute.
9. Add vinegar, then pour the hot brine over the vegetables.
10. Seal the jars and store upside down for 24 hours.

Note: Leaving chili seeds in makes the pickles spicier.

Korean-Style Pickled Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 kg green tomatoes;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 4 tbsp sugar;
• 5 garlic cloves;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 1 carrot;
• 50 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• bay leaf;
• celery leaves;
• mixed spices;
• parsley;
• 1 chili pepper.

Instructions:

1. Wash all vegetables.
2. Slice the carrot into rings.
3. Dice the bell and chili peppers.
4. Make small cuts in each tomato to insert vegetable slices.
5. Thinly slice the garlic.
6. Stuff tomatoes with garlic and carrot. Sterilize jars.
7. Layer celery, parsley, and tomatoes in jars.
8. Sprinkle with mixed spices.
9. Boil water and pour over the vegetables twice (5 minutes each).
10. On the third boil, add sugar and salt to the water.
11. Add vinegar and simmer for 2 minutes.
12. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and seal the jars.

This recipe is flexible—add your favorite herbs and spices for extra flavor.

Green Tomatoes in Adjika Sauce

A natural recipe without vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 2–2.5 kg green tomatoes;
• 1 chili pepper;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 4 tbsp sugar;
• 2 garlic cloves;
• 2 red bell peppers.

Adjika Preparation:

1. Wash and finely chop half the tomatoes.
2. Remove seeds from bell peppers.
3. Chop the chili.
4. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
5. Simmer with salt and sugar for 15 minutes.

Tomato Preparation:

1. Sterilize jars and lids.
2. Wash and pack whole tomatoes into jars.

Combining:

1. Pour hot adjika over the tomatoes.
2. Sterilize for 20 minutes before sealing.
3. Store after 24 hours.

Pickled Tomatoes with Parsley and Horseradish

Ingredients:

• 3 kg green tomatoes;
• 2 horseradish leaves;
• 100 g horseradish root;
• currant leaves;
• fresh herbs (parsley required);
• 3 L water;
• 180 g salt.

Instructions:

1. Boil water with salt for 2 minutes, then cool.
2. Sterilize jars and lids.
3. Pierce tomatoes with a toothpick.
4. Layer herbs and tomatoes in jars.
5. Grate the horseradish root over the tomatoes.
6. Pour cooled brine over the vegetables and seal.
7. Store once the brine turns cloudy.

Sweet Pickled Tomatoes

A simple, sugar-rich recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg green tomatoes;
• 6 tbsp sugar;
• 1.5 tbsp salt;
• dill;
• 1 garlic clove;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• 2 L water.

Instructions:

1. Pierce tomatoes with a toothpick.
2. Sterilize jars and lids.
3. Layer garlic, tomatoes, and dill in jars.
4. Boil water with salt, sugar, and vinegar.
5. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and seal immediately.
6. Store after 16 hours.

Tip: Add a teaspoon of honey for extra sweetness.

Georgian-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 kg green tomatoes;
• 6 garlic cloves;
• 3 tbsp sugar;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 1 L water;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• 1 chili pepper;
• khmeli-suneli spice mix;
• black peppercorns;
• bay leaf;
• dill;
• parsley.

Instructions:

1. Slice the chili into rings.
2. Chop the herbs and garlic finely.
3. Mix with khmeli-suneli (½ tsp).
4. Sterilize jars.
5. Place bay leaf and peppercorns at the bottom.
6. Cut pockets in tomatoes and stuff with the herb mixture.
7. Pack tomatoes into jars.
8. Pour boiling water over them twice (10 minutes each).
9. On the third boil, add salt and sugar to the water.
10. Add vinegar and pour the hot brine over the tomatoes.
11. Sterilize for 10 minutes before sealing.

Pickled Tomatoes with Beetroot

Ingredients:

• 1 kg green tomatoes;
• 1 medium beetroot;
• 5 tbsp sugar;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 1 tbsp vinegar (70%);
• dill;
• 3 garlic cloves;
• black peppercorns.

Instructions:

1. Sterilize jars and lids.
2. Slice beetroot and garlic thinly. Layer in jars.
3. Add herbs and tomatoes.
4. Pour boiling water over until it turns red.
5. Drain, reboil the water with salt and sugar.
6. Add vinegar and pour over the vegetables.
7. Seal the jars and store upside down for 24 hours.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Garlic and Herbs

Ingredients:

• 1 kg green tomatoes;
• 5 garlic cloves;
• 4 tbsp sugar;
• 1.5 tbsp salt;
• 1 L water;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• black peppercorns;
• bay leaf;
• dill;
• parsley.

Instructions:

1. Chop herbs and garlic finely.
2. Sterilize jars.
3. Place bay leaf and peppercorns at the bottom.
4. Cut crosses into tomatoes and stuff with the herb mixture.
5. Pack into jars and pour boiling water over them twice.
6. On the third boil, add salt, sugar, and vinegar.
7. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and seal.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Bell Peppers and Onion

Ingredients:

• 1 kg green tomatoes;
• 2 large bell peppers;
• 3 onions;
• 1 L water;
• 3 tbsp sugar;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 100 mL white wine vinegar (9%);
• dill;
• black peppercorns (optional).

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry all vegetables.
2. Cut the tops off tomatoes and scoop out some flesh.
3. Dice bell peppers and onions, then mix.
4. Place peppercorns at the bottom of sterilized jars.
5. Stuff tomatoes with the pepper-onion mix and cover with "lids."
6. Top with dill and pour boiling water over them twice.
7. On the third boil, add salt, sugar, and vinegar.
8. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and seal.

Tip: Add a spoon of olive oil to the stuffing for extra flavor.

Vintage-Style Pickled Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 kg green tomatoes;
• 2 tbsp salt;
• 1 tbsp sugar;
• bay leaf;
• dill sprig;
• parsley sprig;
• 60 mL white wine vinegar;
• black peppercorns.

Instructions:

1. Sterilize jars and lids.
2. Layer herbs and tomatoes in jars.
3. Add salt, sugar, and peppercorns.
4. Boil water with vinegar and pour over the tomatoes.
5. Sterilize for 10 minutes before sealing.

No-Sterilization Pickled Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg green tomatoes;
• 5 garlic cloves;
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (9%);
• currant or cherry leaves;
• 1 tbsp salt;
• 1 tbsp sugar;
• black peppercorns.

Instructions:

1. Soak tomatoes in cool water for 2 hours.
2. Pierce each tomato with a toothpick.
3. Layer garlic, herbs, and tomatoes in jars.
4. Boil water with salt, sugar, and vinegar.
5. Pour the hot brine over the tomatoes and seal immediately.
6. Store after 16 hours.

How to Perfectly Preserve Green Tomatoes

Expert tips for flawless pickling:

• Pierce whole tomatoes with a toothpick to prevent bursting;
• Green tomatoes are naturally tart—balance the flavor with three times more sugar than salt;
• Avoid adding lemon (unlike with ripe tomatoes);
• Always clean jars thoroughly with baking soda and rinse well.

Final Thoughts

With so many recipes for pickled green tomatoes, you’re sure to find favorites for your winter pantry. The keys to success are sterile jars and precise vinegar measurements.

These pickles complement any meal—pair them with potatoes, meats, or enjoy them as a standalone snack. They’ll even elevate a simple barbecue to gourmet status. Simply irresistible!