Looking for How to make pickled sweet green tomatoes in 2026?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.  If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

If you have questions or feedback, please let me know! There are affiliate links on this page.  Read our disclosure policy to learn more. 

How to make pickled sweet green tomatoes

How to make pickled sweet green tomatoes

Yield: 7 to 9 pint jars

Click here for a PDF print version

Making and canning your own pickled sweet tomatoes is easy!  Here's how! Photos are coming!

Ingredients

• 10 to 11 lbs of green tomatoes (16 cups sliced)
• 2 cups sliced onions
• 1/4 cup canning or pickling salt
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 tbsp allspice
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp whole cloves

Equipment

• 1 water bath canner (a huge pot to sanitize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 - $30 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores.  Note: we sell canners, supplies and kits through our affiliates: click here or see the bottom of this page) Tomatoes are on the border between the high-acid fruits that can be preserved in a boiling-water bath and the low-acid fruits, vegetables  and meats that need pressure canning.
• Pint canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at Publix, Kroger, Safeway and local "big box" stores - about $13 per dozen 8-ounce jars, more for quilted design or larger jars, including the lids and rings).  Be sure to get wide mouth jars to fit the pickles in!  Pint size works best! 
• Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar.  They may only be used once.
• Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars.  They may be reused many times.
• Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars) 
• Lid lifter (I like the lid rack that holds 12 lids or you can pull them out one at a time with the lid-lifter that has a magnet from the almost-boiling water where you sanitize them. ($4 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box" stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)
• 1 large pot.
• Large spoons and ladles,
• Jar funnel ($3-Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger and Safeway and local "big box" stores; sometimes even hardware stores)

 

Directions - Step by Step

Step 1 - Select the tomatoes

Small green paste, Roma or plum tomatoes are suitable for this pickle.

Step 2 - Wash the tomatoes 

Wash the tomatoes in a colander under running cool water.

Step 3 - Make the syrup / packing solution

Make a syrup of the sugar, vinegar and spices:

• 3 cups brown sugar
• 4 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 1 tbsp mustard seed
• 1 tbsp allspice
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp whole cloves

Step 4 - Slice the tomatoes and onions

Slice tomatoes (16 cups sliced) and onions (2 cups sliced onions), both about 1/4 inch thick slices

Step 5 - Sweat the tomatoes

This means, put the slliced tomatoes and onions in bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup pickling salt, and let stand for 4 to 6 hours.

Step 6 - Drain

Drain the liquids off the sliced tomatoes and onions.

Step 7 - Heat the vinegar with the sugar

Heat and stir in the 3 cups of brown sugar sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 8 - Combine everything

Tie the remaining spices (mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves) in a spice bag or cheesecloth. Add the bag to the vinegar along with the sliced tomatoes and onions in a good sized pot.

Step 9 - Heat

If needed, add minimum water to cover the pieces. Bring the mixture to aboil and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent burning. The onions should be tender and translucent when properly cooked

Step  10 - Pack the jars

Remove the spice bag and discard . Fill each jar by removing the tomatoes from the syrup, using a slotted spoon and gently pack the tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover with remaining hot pickling solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove Don't pack too tightly.   Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.

Step 11 - Put the lids on snug, but night too tight

Wipe the rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust the two-piece metal canning lids. Then "Process" - boil the jars for 15 minutes in a Boiling Water Canner, being sure the tops of the jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Longer (see the table below) if you are above 1,000 ft in elevation.

Step 12 - Remove the jars, let them cool

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool on a wooden cutting board or a towel,  without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight), here they won't be bumped. You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok. You're done!

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months with best quality.
 

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 1994.

Pickle Making Problems? Pickling FAQs Frequently asked questions and answers

 

 

Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

[ Easy Home Canning Directions] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]