Sweet Green Tomato Pickles Made With Pickling Lime Recipes

LIME PICKLES

Steps:

• Mix 2 gallons water and pickling lime together in a large bowl; add cucumbers and soak, stirring often, for 24 hours. Drain and thoroughly rinse cucumbers under cold water.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water and soak cucumbers for 3 hours; drain.
• Pour cold vinegar into a large pot. Mix sugar, pickling spice, salt, celery seed, cloves, and food coloring into vinegar until dissolved. Add cucumbers; let sit, 8 hours to overnight.
• Bring cucumber mixture to a boil; remove pot from heat.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack cucumber mixture into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

SWEET GREEN TOMATO PICKLES (MADE WITH PICKLING LIME)

Steps:

• Prepare the tomatoes: if the tomatoes are less than 3 inches in diameter, cut them into 1/4 inch slices. If they are greater than 3 inches in diameter, cut them in 1/4 inch slices, and then cut the slices into quarters so you will be able to fit them in the jars.
• In a large bowl, combine the 3/4 cup of pickling lime with 3 quarts of cold water, stirring well to combine. Add the tomatoes, cover the bowl, and let it sit on the counter for 8 hours or overnight.
• The next day, drain the tomatoes, cover again with cold water, and soak for one hour. Do this two more times, draining and covering with fresh cold water each time, until you have soaked the tomatoes in fresh water a total of three times, for an hour each time. This step is important; it removes all of the lime so the tomatoes will be acid enough to can safely. DO NOT SKIP ANY OF THE SOAKING STEPS. Drain the tomatoes and set aside.
• Using a quadruple layer of cheesecloth, make a spice bag and tie the celery seeds, cloves, allspice, mustard seeds, and cinnamon up in it.
• In a large pan or stock pot (at least 6 quarts), combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, spice bag, and diced ginger. Bring to a boil, then add the drained tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and pressing down on the tomatoes to keep them submerged in the brine.
• Stack the tomatoes in wide-mouth pint sized canning jars, placing a slice or two of onion between some of the layers in each jar. Place about a half teaspoon of the ginger pieces in each jar, discarding the remaining ginger, but reserving the syrup.
• Leave 1" headspace in each jar between the tomato slices and the top of the jar, and cover the tomato slices with the hot syrup, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Use a chopstick or other thin, non-metal utensil to run around the sides of the jar to make sure there are no air bubbles left in the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any syrup which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 10 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.

GREEN TOMATO PICKLES

Steps:

• In a large ceramic bowl or crock, combine green tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with salt. Refrigerate overnight.
• Pour cold water over tomatoes and onions, and let stand for 1 hour. Place peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, mustard seeds, and ground mustard in a small cheesecloth bag.
• Drain tomatoes and onions.
• In a large pot, stir together vinegar and sugar, and then add the tomatoes and onions, the cheesecloth bag with spices, the sliced lemon, and minced red pepper. Bring to a low boil, and then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Check frequently; you may need to pull the pot off of the heat occasionally to prevent scorching. Discard spice bag.
• Fill sterilized jars with tomato mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Garnish with thin strips of red pepper arrange vertically along the sides of the jars. Screw on lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove jars and let jars cool completely. Refrigerate any that haven't sealed completely. Store sealed jars in a cool dark place.

(MY FAVOURITE) GREEN TOMATO PICKLES

Steps:

• Slice tomatoes and onions very thin. Layer them in a large bowl (I use a really clean small plastic pail), sprinkling salt between the layers. Let stand overnight.
• In the morning, drain in a colander, letting cold water run through the vegetables for a few minutes, then drain well again.
• Into a large saucepan (I use a roaster) measure sugar and vinegar.
• Tie all spices loosely in a cheesecloth and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil and add tomatoes, onions and lemon (lemon should be very, very thinly sliced).
• Remove stem and seed cores from peppers, slice thinly and add to mixture.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes (or to desired consistency), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking; remove spice bag.
• Pack pickles in sterilized jars and seal.
• Enjoy.

OLD-FASHIONED LIME PICKLES RECIPE RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• 1. Cut cucumbers into 1/4-inch slices, discarding the ends. In a 2-gallon or larger nonreactive (glass or ceramic) container, mix lime with salt and water. Add cucumbers and soak, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 24 hours. 2. Remove slices from lime solution, rinse in a colander and resoak for 1 hour in fresh, cold water. Repeat rinsing and soaking steps at least 2 more times to completely remove lime. Drain well. Set aside. 3. In a large pot, whisk together onions, vinegar, sugar, salt and pickling spice. Simmer over low heat-do not boil-for 15 minutes. 4. Sterilize 4 quart-sized canning jars, with their lids and seals, in boiling water. Carefully pack cucumbers and onions into jars and pour hot liquid over them, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Use a wooden chopstick to stir out any air bubbles, and wipe rims to remove any liquid. Apply lids and rings. 5. Meanwhile, fill canner halfway with water, and heat it to 180 degrees. Set jars in canner, and continually monitor water temperature for 30 minutes. Make only minor adjustments to maintain this temperature for the duration. Ideally it should never exceed 185 degrees. (Alternatively, process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.) Pickles improve after a month in storage.