Spicy green tomato pickles

I have two questions for you:

1. Do you have green tomatoes hanging around on your plants?
2. Do you like Bloody Marys?

If you answered yes, have I got the canning recipe for you.

OK, to be fair I should have asked three questions, with the third being:

    3. Do you know how to can tomatoes?

But, if you don't know how to can tomatoes and you want to learn - Indie Farms has a session just for that. Learn how to use a canner, can some tomatoes, turn your back on storebought canned tomatoes forever - it's a good time.

Meanwhile, if you're looking to do something with the green tomatoes on your plants that will never ripen as the season is about over, this recipe is a delicious combination of my standard tomato canning recipe and my pickle recipe and results in a most fabulous cocktail garnish, appetizer platter winner and green olive stand-in.

"Green" can mean anything that's not 100% ripe. Just for the record.

I gave these as part of my holiday gifts last year and they were the biggest crowd pleaser of all the preserved foods. Even more so than my blackberry jam which shocked the pants right off of me.

Don't worry. I was home alone when it happened.

SO! Ready to preserve the final remains of your summer tomato harvest?

Get to it already. Then take those tomato plants out and put some cover crops in already - it's October!

Sheesh.

Spicy Green Tomato Pickles
Notes in italics

Makes 6 pints (or, in my case, 6 half pints and 2 pints) 
Ingredients
3+ pounds green tomatoes, washed and halved or quartered (bite size is what we're going for)
3 1/2 cups vinegar
3 1/2 cups water
1/4 canning salt (kosher salt works fine)
6+ garlic cloves  (1 per jar)
1-3 T red pepper flakes (you decide how hot you like it)

Equipment
Hot water canner with rack
Canning tools: Jar lifter,  jar funnel, tightener
6 pint jars, 6+ half pint jars or a mix of jars
Lids and bands for all of your jars

To make
Wash your tomatoes and cut them into either halves or quarters with the intention of making them all about the same bite size.

The reason it's important for them to be about the same size is that they'll all process the same and you won't have some that are overdone with some that are less done. 

It's all about consistency of doneness, is what I'm trying to say.

Combine your salt, vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil.

We used the full 3 tablespoons because we like it spicy at the test garden.

 If you're using more or less tomatoes than the 3+ pounds in the recipe, you can adjust your water and vinegar mix accordingly - just keep the ratio intact. So, like, if you only have a pound of tomatoes, use 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of vinegar. 

The ratios are what's really important, so don't be sad and not do this if you only have a pound of tomatoes. You don't *need* 3+ pounds to make this, it's just what I had when I made the recipe. I also will not judge you if you start a full hot water canner for 3 pints of these tomato pickles - they're *that* good.

Pack your tomatoes into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" head space. That's what is recommended out in the great wide world of canning, anyway. 

Did you know that was out there? It is. It's great.

Add 1 clove of garlic to each jar and ladle the hot peppered vinegar mixture over the tomatoes.

Remove air bubbles with a tiny spatula or that little plastic wand that comes with some of your canning tool sets.

Put on the two piece lids and bands.

Process 15 minutes in your hot water canner.

This time around, we had a full house of pints and half pints.

Allow to cool, then make some Bloodys, have your nicer neighbors over for appetizers and cocktails and then throw away your green olives because you're done with those.

These you're just getting started with.

Also, can I ask a favor? I promise I won't get greedy with my favor-asking. 

When you're done canning, let that water cool and then use it to water your plants. Or rinse off your windshield. Or wash your dog. Or something other than just dumping it down the drain.

It's perfectly good sterilized water. You could probably birth a baby with it, but I am not recommending that because I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies. Also, that screams liability. 

Anyway, as a favor to me and Indie Farms, please don't waste water. Or birth babies on our instruction. Thanks, friends.