Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: Pints
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Processing: 5 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; use the source/card’s altitude adjustments above 1,000 ft.
Tested/documented source
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Pickled Green Tomato Relish — NCHFP. The source and recipe card remain authoritative for quantities and processing.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare jars, canner, produce, and measured ingredients.
- Prepare and salt the vegetables as directed, drain, cook in the tested vinegar mixture, then hot-pack promptly.
- Fill jars, adjust headspace, process for elevation, and cool undisturbed 12–24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- Pints with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter,
canning funnel, and bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients uniformly.
- Cook the full tested mixture as directed.
- Hot-pack evenly and maintain 1/2 inch headspace.
- Process using the documented altitude schedule.
Safety essentials
Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and the complete tested proportions. Because the base process is 5 minutes, use pre-sterilized jars when following that schedule.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
A tested hot-pack green-tomato relish for pint jars.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient before cooking, confirm your elevation, and prepare only one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
5 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; use the source/card’s altitude adjustments above 1,000 ft.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing; restart timing if boiling stops.
Pickled green tomato relish — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 10 lbs small, hard green tomatoes
- 1-1/2 lbs red bell peppers
- 1-1/2 lbs green bell peppers
- 2 lbs onions
- 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
- 1 qt water
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 qt vinegar (5 percent)
- 1/3 cup prepared yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Wash and coarsely grate or finely chop tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Dissolve salt in water and pour over vegetables in large kettle. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Drain in colander. Return vegetables to kettle. Add sugar, vinegar, mustard, and cornstarch. Stir to mix.
- Heat to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Fill sterile pint jars with hot relish, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. For more information see "Sterilization of Empty Jars" . Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in
- Processing: Process Hot, Pints, boiling-water canner, 0 - 1,000 ft - 5 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: Table 1. Recommended process time for Pickled Green Tomato Relish in a boiling-water canner. / Process Time at Elevations of / Style of Pack - Jar Size - 0 - 1,000 ft - 1,001 - 6,000 ft - Above 6,000 ft / Hot - Pints - 5 min - 10 - 15
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve with meats, beans, sandwiches, or savory dishes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the jar size?
No. Use only the jar sizes documented by the tested source.
Can I change the vinegar, fruit, vegetables, or sugar?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable
Recipe context
This cooked, acidified relish is not interchangeable with plain canned green tomatoes or refrigerator relish.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Liquid loss: Allow jars to cool undisturbed, then inspect the seal and food before storage. Discard spoiled product without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: National Center for Home Food Preservation. Editorial organization changes only; the tested formula and safety requirements remain in the recipe card.