Pickled Green Tomato Salad

Chances are if you live south of Virginia then green tomatoes are still hanging on vines near you.  That was the case with my garden, when I found myself with two dozen green tomatoes in October but not enough consistent warm weather or time before the first frost to let them vine ripen.....so I picked them all and thought, now what?  I gave a few to friends and let some ripen through the window-filtered sun but I still had more than a dozen left.  I love fried green tomatoes, but I didn't want to have to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days just to use up my harvest.....so I turned to the one thing I do when I have an abundance of any veggie....canning!  I had heard of green tomato relish so I did some research on various methods and came up with a recipe of my own that's a little different....Pickled Green Tomato Salad.  

This salad would be great as a side or topping on burgers, but I actually plan on using it this week on a fall favorite, bratwurst (also topped with homemade beer and horseradish mustard).  Before canning and processing the salad, I used a mandolin to thinly and quickly slice the tomatoes and onion, tossing them with a few jalapeno peppers.  

Serving Size:
Makes about 4 pint-sized mason jars

Ingredients:

-6-8 green tomatoes (depending on size, thinly sliced and halved if necessary to fit in mason jars)

-1 large onion (thinly sliced)

-4 jalapeno peppers (about 1 per jar, sliced)

-4 1/2 cups white vinegar
-3 cups sugar
-1/4 cup kosher salt
-2 tbsp mustard seeds
-4 tbsp black peppercorns
-1 tsp dill seed

Directions:

Prep a large / tall pot of boiling water for the processing phase of the recipe.

Slice the tomatoes, onion and jalapenos.  Toss together in a bowl.  Tightly pack into hot sterilized mason jars.

Meanwhile bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and spices to a boil and let flavors combine for a few minutes and until salt/sugar dissolves.  While the pickling mixture is at a low boil / hot, ladle into the packed jars.  Wipe the rims clean of any liquid and seal with lids/bans.  Process in water bath for 15 minutes (basically boil jars under water in a large / tall pot, ensuring jar lids are covered by 1-2 inches of water).  Let cool on a wire rack for 24 hours, then test seals (center part of jar lid will be depressed if properly sealed).  

Will keep in your pantry for up to one year once processed and sealed!