Green Tomato Pickles

You know how it goes, you have your day planned when you receive that unexpected phone call. My task for the day was to clean out the laundry room and pack up the unused items for Wesley Woods yard sale. I was working diligently to make a dent in the mess when Kenny called. His friend Henry was cleaning out his garden and had harvested a bunch of green tomatoes. Did I want them? Of course I can't say no to fresh veggies, especially tomatoes, and I wasn't thrilled with my task for the day, so I said "Yes" without hesitation. Today's cleaning day quickly turned into a day of preserving nature's bounty for those cold winter days when we will enjoy the harvest of the summer.

So what do you do with a bucket of green tomatoes? Many years ago as an Extension Home Economist, I tried my hand at pickling and preserving just about everything. One of our favorites was Pickled Green Tomatoes. They are a wonderful accompaniment to the crowder peas and butter beans in the freezer and very easy to make. The hard part is waiting a couple of weeks for the tomatoes to pickle. Try these for a real treat when the weather is cold and you are looking for the warm thoughts of a summer garden!

Green Tomato Pickles

Green tomatoes

Apple cider vinegar

Garlic

Hot peppers

Wash the tomatoes, core and slice into wedges. Sterilize your canning jars in boiling water. Put one clove of garlic and a hot pepper into each jar. Pack the tomatoes tightly into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Pour boiling apple cider vinegar over the tomatoes. Wipe jar rims and adjust lid and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Jennifer, I have a jar for you! I'll bring it to Charlotte next week.