Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes — NCHFP

Tested source

Tested source. NCHFP Pickled Sweet Green Tomatoes

Preparation timeline

1. Wash and slice tomatoes and onions. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand 4 to 6 hours; drain.
2. Heat and stir sugar in vinegar until dissolved. Tie mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves in a spice bag. Add the bag, tomatoes, and onions to the vinegar. Add only the minimum water needed to cover.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring to prevent burning, until tomatoes are tender and transparent. Remove the spice bag.
4. Fill hot jars and cover with pickling liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.
5. Process pints for 10, 15, or 20 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 1,001–6,000 ft, or above 6,000 ft. Process quarts for 15, 20, or 25 minutes at those elevations. Cool 12 to 24 hours and check seals.

Equipment

• Boiling-water canner
• Canning jars
• Two-piece canning lids
• Spice bag

Visual method guide

1. Prepare: Wash and slice tomatoes and onions. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let stand 4 to 6 hours; drain.
2. Combine or cook: Heat and stir sugar in vinegar until dissolved. Tie mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves in a spice bag. Add the bag, tomatoes, and onions to the vinegar. Add only the minimum water needed to cover.
3. Fill: Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring to prevent burning, until tomatoes are tender and transparent. Remove the spice bag.
4. Process: Fill hot jars and cover with pickling liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, wipe rims, and apply lids.

Safety summary

A tested NCHFP recipe for spiced sweet green tomato pickles.

Safety classification: Research-tested home-canning recipe. Use 5% vinegar, preserve exact proportions, maintain 1/2-inch headspace, and follow jar-size and altitude-specific processing.

Do not substitute ripe tomatoes, dilute the vinegar, alter tested proportions, shorten the salted rest or 30-minute simmer, or use jars larger than quarts. Add only the minimum water needed to cover. No other change is presented here as safe unless the original tested source expressly permits it.

Simmer until the tomatoes are tender and transparent, stirring to prevent scorching. If a jar does not seal, refrigerate promptly or reprocess within 24 hours with a new lid and the full tested process.

Editorial review: Safety-critical values are tied to the cited source and must survive imports and audits.

About this recipe

A tested NCHFP recipe for spiced sweet green tomato pickles with altitude-adjusted processing.

Before you begin

Method

Boiling-water canning

Headspace

1/2-inch headspace

Recipe standard

Use the complete formula and directions in the recipe card.

Serving suggestions

After opening, refrigerate the product and use it in ways appropriate to this recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the recipe?

Do not change safety-critical proportions, jar size, headspace, canning method, processing time, pressure, or altitude adjustment beyond options explicitly allowed by the cited source.

What if a jar does not seal?

Follow the cited source’s directions for an unsealed jar; refrigerate promptly when required.

Comparison and context

A tested NCHFP recipe for spiced sweet green tomato pickles with altitude-adjusted processing.

Troubleshooting

Process pints for 10, 15, or 20 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 1,001–6,000 ft, or above 6,000 ft. Process quarts for 15, 20, or 25 minutes at those elevations. Cool 12 to 24 hours and check seals.

Source & provenance

Official source.

Related resources

Canning safety · Browse home-canning recipes · Sources and trust