Salt the Green Tomatoes: This step is optional, but recommended (see notes)
Place some tomato slices into the bottom of a bowl in a single layer. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt. Add another layer of tomatoes on top and sprinkle those lightly with salt. Repeat until all of the tomato slices are salted in the bowl. Cover the salted green tomato slices and allow them to sit at room temperature overnight. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes before pickling.
Make the Brine
Wash a 32-ounce wide-mouth canning jar with hot soapy water. Rinse well and allow it to air dry.
In a small saucepan over medium-high, whisk all of the brine ingredients until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Fill the Jar
If you DID NOT salt the tomatoes overnight, slice the ends of the tomatoes, removing the core. Cut the tomatoes either into slices, halves, or quarters.
Place the tomato slices, basil, shallots, and jalapeno slices inside the clean canning jar. Pour the cooled brine solution into the jar. Seal tightly and chill for 24-hours, gently shaking the jar every once in a while to ensure the flavors meld well.
After 24-hours, serve as desired. Enjoy pickled green tomatoes stored in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Notes
Keep in mind how you plan to use the pickled tomatoes. Slices are better for topping burgers and sandwiches or even frying. Halves or Quarters are better for chopping to add to dishes or eating alone.Canning Jar: Wide-mouth canning jars work the best, especially for slices.Size: choose more small tomatoes, no larger than the size of a baseball. Larger tomatoes tend to be more bitter and will not absorb the brine very well. If making slices, choose tomatoes slightly smaller than your canning jar's mouth.Variety: Use any green unripened tomato that has not yet turned red.Salting the Tomatoes: Salt the green tomatoes before pickling them for best results. Salting the green tomato slices and letting them sit will draw excess liquid from the tomatoes, which tends to taste bitter. Not only will salting the tomatoes give the green tomatoes a better flavor, but it will also make them crisper and allow them to draw in more of the flavors from the brine solution.Go easy on the salt. If you are watching your sodium, you may want to cut back on the amount of salt used in the brine solution since the tomato slices do not get rinsed.Heat: Jalapenos add a nice spicy heat to balance the sweet and tangy flavor of the brine. Jalapenos can be substituted with ¼ teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes.I tested this recipe using both jalapeno slices and red pepper flakes. Although both were very good, David and I agreed on the pickled tomatoes with jalapeno slices vs. the red pepper flakes. Not only do the jalapenos provide a mild spice, but they also bring a nice bright flavor to the pickled green tomatoes.If you don’t like spice, remove the veins and seeds from the jalapenos so that you can enjoy the taste without the heat. OR omit the jalapenos or red pepper flakes altogether.
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