Summer is ending but garden harvests are still happening. One thing that I have a lot of are green tomatoes. I hate wasting them so I tried fermenting them this year. They turned out pretty tasty and reminded me of tangy kimchi. Next time I think I would add some spicy peppers or chili peppers to it.

Wash and clean your tomatoes. Pick out any that look bad. I cut my tomatoes in half since I found them a little tough. Add a couple cloves of garlic. Top them with salty brine, cover the jar with a coffee filter and let them ferment at room temperature for a couple of days. I find coffee filters work best for me. I have tried pickle pipes but for some reason it doesn’t ferment that well. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Let me know.

You can give your tomatoes a little taste each day to see the progress and if you like the tangyness. Once they get to your desired fermentation then place them in the fridge to slow down this process. The liquid will start looking cloudy and bubbles will form. This is normal. There might be even some white yeast growing on top. I have heard that it is safe just to remove it by scooping it out. It is very important that you have enough liquid covering the tomatoes or else mold and other nasty things can grow on top. You can submerge them in the liquid by placing a pickle stone or plate on top.

The results of the fermentation is a nice crunchy, garlicky, tangy tomatoes. Almost pickled but not as sour. They are great tossed in salads or as a side for meat. They would be wonderful chopped up and added to salsa or soups. This brine can work for many vegetables. What would you try next? Last thing I tried was Fermented Kale.

Fermenting Brine

• 4 tablespoons salt (I used pink himalayan salt)
• 1 liter or 4 cups water (filtered or bottled)

Fermented green tomatoes

• green cherry tomatoes washed and cut in half
• garlic clove(s)
• brine

Wash and clean your green tomatoes. Cut in half or bite sized pieces if you are using larger tomatoes.

Sterilize your jar by boiling it in water for about 20-30 min.

Place the green tomatoes in a clean and sterilized jar. Add one or two cloves of garlic (depending on how large your jar is and how garlicky you want your tomatoes to be).

Fill the jar with brine until the tomatoes are covered. As the tomatoes ferment, they will release water so the level of liquid will increase. Make sure you leave plenty for room for the fermentation process.

Place a pickle stone, or plate on top of the tomatoes to make sure they are fully submerged in the liquid. Place a coffee filter on top and secure with an elastic band.

Place your jar in a dark cool place. Leave the jar to ferment for the next couple of days. Watch for mold/yeast growth. You can taste the tomatoes daily to see how the flavor changes. Remember to leave plenty of room for the fermentation process as the bubbles and liquid will expand. I leave about 1-2 inches of space on top.

My tomatoes took about 6 days until they tasted how I wanted them too. Once this happened I covered the jar with the lid and placed it in the fridge. The fridge will slow down the fermentation process. The fermented tomatoes will last in the fridge for a long time. Enjoy these as a side dish, a snack or added to recipes. I find this a great way to save your harvests and enjoy them throughout the winter.

Enjoy.

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