Favourite Pickled Tomatoes

Old-world pickled cherry tomatoes, a beloved tradition across Russia, Ukraine, and Poland where whole small tomatoes get brined into tangy, snappy pickles that pop when you bite them. The brine penetrates the skin slowly, infusing each tomato with dill, garlic, and pepper flavor while keeping them firm.

The grape leaf tucked into each jar is a classic Eastern European trick. Grape leaves contain tannins that prevent pickled vegetables from going soft, keeping the tomatoes crisp for months. Use them if you can find them. Otherwise, oak or horseradish leaves work the same way.

Alum is the other crisping agent, a traditional pickling salt that further strengthens the cell walls of the tomatoes. Modern food safety preferences sometimes call for skipping alum, but old-school pickle makers swear it’s the difference between crunch and mush.

The rolling boil and immediate sealing creates a basic preservation by acidification and heat, but these pickled tomatoes are best stored in the fridge and eaten within a few months rather than canned for long-term shelf storage.

Kitchen Tips

• Use firm, just-ripe cherry or small Roma tomatoes. Soft overripe tomatoes turn to mush in the brine.

• Prick each tomato once or twice with a needle. The small holes let the brine penetrate without splitting the tomatoes.

• Use coarse pickling salt, not iodized table salt. Iodine can react with the vegetables and turn the brine cloudy.

• Refrigerate after opening and use within a month. Air exposure speeds spoilage.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of mustard seeds to each jar for a more complex spice profile.

• Substitute fresh dill sprigs for dill seed for a fresher, more aromatic flavor.

• Add 2 to 3 fresh chili peppers to the jar for spicy pickled tomatoes.