Growing up, our next door neighbor would make these pickles every summer. My mother had gotten the recipe from her, and I’ve made only one minor change. The original recipe called for the use of Alum directly in the brine, something that is no longer recommended practice in pickling. Instead, I use Pickling Lime (which serves the same purpose) in a bath first, which stiffens the tomatoes but is washed off. These are not shelf stable pickles, and must be refrigerated.

Ingredients

Liquid

1. 3 qts. Water
2. 1 qt good Cider vinegar
3. 1 cup Kosher salt (233 grams of any non-iodized salt)

In Sterilized Jar                

1. 1 t pickling spice
2. 1 T honey
3. 1 dried hot chile pepper
4. 1 bay leaf
5. 2 – 3 pieces peeled raw garlic

Method

1. Bring liquid to a rolling boil. 
2.  Place dry ingredients in each sterile quart jar
3. Scrub green tomatoes. Cut into halves or quarters
4. Add tomatoes to jars.
5. Pour in boiling liquid to top of jar. Seal.
6. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Refrigerate. These are not shelf stable.

Additional Notes

For crisper pickles, use a Pickling Lime (like Mrs. Wages) on the tomatoes prior to starting. Follow the instructions on the package of Pickling Lime for proper handling.