Green Tomato Dill Pickles

When the frost is coming and you’ve got pounds of green tomatoes still on the vine, these dill pickles are the answer. Sliced green tomatoes get packed into quart jars with fresh dill, garlic, and whole cloves, then covered with a boiling vinegar brine and water-bath processed for shelf-stable storage.

Green tomatoes hold up to pickling better than ripe ones because they’re firm and dense. Slicing them ¼ inch thick gives each piece enough structure to stay crisp through the canning process. Use only firm, unblemished tomatoes. Soft or bruised spots turn mushy in the brine.

The brine is a straightforward mix of vinegar, pickling salt, and water. No sugar, so these are tart, garlicky pickles with the warm spice of whole cloves in the background. Twenty minutes in a boiling water bath seals the jars safely for pantry storage.

Kitchen Tips

• Use pickling salt, not table salt. Table salt has anti-caking agents that cloud the brine.
• Pack the jars loosely. Overpacking means the brine can’t circulate and some slices won’t pickle evenly.
• Leave ½ inch of headspace as directed. Too little space prevents a proper seal.
• Use a non-aluminum saucepan for the brine. Vinegar reacts with aluminum and can give the pickles a metallic taste.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar for spicy dill pickles.
• Include a grape leaf or oak leaf in each jar. The tannins help keep the tomato slices extra crisp.
• Swap whole cloves for mustard seeds and peppercorns for a more classic deli-style pickle flavor.