GRDENERS NEVER KNOW WHETHER THEY’LL HAVE a bumper crop of ripe tomatoes or gallons of green tomatoes issuing forth from their plants. This recipe transforms what could be a massive disappointment into something tasty.
1 cup/240 ml distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 teaspoons dill seed, divided
¾ teaspoon peppercorns, divided
3 bay leaves
2 pounds/910 g green tomatoes, stemmed and cut into wedges
2 pounds/910 g green tomatoes, stemmed and cut into wedges
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. the process on page 000. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the vinegar, 1 cup/240 ml water, and the pickling salt in a pot and bring the brine to a boil.
Meanwhile, add 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dill seed, ¼ teaspoon peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf to each sterilized jar. Pack the tomato wedges into the jars as tightly as you can manage, while trying not to mangle them.
Slowly pour the hot brine over the tomatoes in each jar, leaving ½ inch/12 mm headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).
Let these pickles cure for at least 1 week before eating.
