Pickled Red Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds small, meaty tomatoes, peeled (like roma, plum or San Marzano)
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons pickling salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pickling spice

Directions: 

If canning, prepare a boiling water bath canner and 3 regular mouth pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups of water, salt, sugar, and ginger slices in a pot and bring to a boil.

Line up jars and measure 1 tablespoon of pickling spices into the bottom of each jar.

Carefully pack peeled tomatoes into prepared jars, taking care not to crush them.

Slowly pour brine over the tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Gently tap jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any air bubbles. Use a wooden chopstick or plastic knife to help remove any bubbles that remain after tapping.

Check headspace again and add more brine if necessary. Make sure to include 2 to 3 ginger slices per jar.

Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

If you’re skipping the processing step, simply let jars cool on your countertop after capping. Once they reach room temperature, put them into the refrigerator.

Whether you process these pickles or not, let them rest in the brine for at least a week before eating.

Source:  Deborah Provencher