Waste not, want not. Clean out the garden, fill the pantry. Here’s a great way to use green cherry tomatoes rescued from a killer frost. In cleaning out my garden for the season, I harvested baskets full of green cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, along with green bell peppers and jalapeños, and I pickled them. This is very quick to do and lasts a long time in the refrigerator. After a week or so, when cured, I chop them into salsa or slice them into quesadillas.

Pickled Tomatillos adapted from Linda Ziedrich, Joy of Pickling
1 lb husked tomatillos, halved if large
1 sweet mild pepper such as bell or Anaheim (I used bell), cut into 1-inch squares or strips
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced into rings
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 c white wine vinegar
1 c water
2 tsp pickling salt (or 1 tbsp kosher salt)
1-2 tsp sugar
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
Optional: small fresh hot pepper such as piquin
Prick the tomatillos with a trussing needle to help them absorb the pickling liquid. Pack the tomatillos, peppers, garlic and oregano in a clean quart jar.
Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a saucepan and pour the hot liquid over the vegetables. Insert a chopstick in the jar to release any air bubbles, and set aside to cool.
When cool, cover with a non-reactive cap and refrigerate for at least a week before eating the pickles. They will keep, refrigerated, for many months, getting mellower and softer as they age.

Variation: Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes. Substitute green cherry tomatoes for the tomatillos. Make sure to prick them in a few places to help them absorb the pickling liquid since their skin is tougher than that of tomatillos.

Categories: Pickle, Preserving, Tomatillo, TomatoTags: Pickling tomatoes