These cherry tomatoes pickled in sweet, salty, and sour brine have been a hit at our house this summer. They pack all the flavor of the summer/early fall vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, plus more. The magic that the delicious pickling brine in this recipe does to tomatoes is hard to describe, but once you taste these pickled cherry tomatoes, you'll know what I am talking about. On top of that, they keep fresh for weeks!
My local Eastern European supermarket sells pickled cabbage that is so good that I could eat it with just about anything. It was the pickling brine that made it so good. After a lot of experimenting, I was able to recreate the brine and make that very same pickled cabbage at home. Granted, they had the ingredients listed, and I only had to figure out the proportions.
This (2024) year, I made this brine taste even better by adding some sweet white balsamic vinegar, which I use in my all-time favorite and highly popular pickled cherry pepper recipe. Oh my, this made the brine even better! More flavor complexity.
You can use regular white balsamic vinegar or the Italian white vinegar of Modena, which I think has a richer flavor and, perhaps, is slightly less sweet, but I tried both, and both do the job perfectly well.
The brine is so tasty that I can practically drink it. My wife suggested pickling some of our heirloom cherry tomatoes as an experiment. I did, and my pickled cherry tomatoes turned out amazingly tasty. They have more flavor than plain fresh tomatoes and preserve the freshness and the firm texture in the fridge for weeks.
Ingredients for pickled cherry tomatoes
There are only a few basic ingredients required for this recipe:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Herbs and spices (dill, sage, cilantro, black peppercorns)
- Pickling brine
For the pickling brine, you will need:
- Salt
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- White balsamic vinegar/white vinegar of Modena
- Water
I am sure any cherry tomatoes will taste great when pickled in this delicious brine, but I love pickled heirloom cherry tomatoes that I grow in my garden. I like the variety of sizes, shapes, colors, textures, and tastes they provide. Including a mix of ripe but firm and slightly under-ripe tomatoes makes the eating experience even better. You never get bored eating them; each tomato provides a different experience.
When picking tomatoes for pickling, avoid over-ripe and damaged ones.
Making pickled cherry tomatoes
Prepare the tomatoes
Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in halves. I strongly prefer pickling cherry tomato halves to whole tomatoes. Tomato halves pickle more uniformly and much faster. Hence, the reason why I like to use firm tomatoes. They also look better that way and are easier to eat.
If you insist on pickling whole tomatoes, prick them with a knife or a fork in a few places to let the brine penetrate.
Fill the jar
I use quart-size Mason jars or larger pickling jars for pickling tomatoes. Ensure the jars are clean; they don't need sterilization.
Place a dill umbrella on the bottom, then fill the jar with tomato halves, adding herbs, garlic and black peppercorns in between as you go. Leave about a 1" headspace.
Top the jar(s) with brine
Combine the brine ingredients in a bowl and stir with a large spoon or whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve fully.
Pour the brine into the jar(s), leaving about a 1/2" headspace. Close with a tight lid.
Pickling in the fridge
The final step is to allow the tomatoes some time to pickle. They are ready for consumption after about a week. They only get better in the fridge and stay fresh for several weeks or longer.
Enjoy!
This recipe was last updated on September 3, 2024.
Pickled Cherry Tomatoes in Sweet, Salty, and Sour Brine
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs cherry tomatoes if possible, try heirloom cherry tomatoes of different colors
- 5 sage leaves
- 3 dill twigs
- 3 cilantro twigs
- 1 dill umbrella
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
For the brine
- 2 cups water at room temperature
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar/white vinegar of Modena
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp white sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in halves.
- Place the dill umbrella on the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar. Add the tomatoes, placing the herbs, garlic, and peppercorns in between. Leave about a 1-inch headspace.
- To prepare the pickling brine, combine the brine ingredients in a separate bowl and stir with a large spoon or a whisk until the salt and the sugar are fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Top the jar with the pickling brine, leaving a 1/2" headspace. Close tightly with a lid.
- Transfer to the fridge and refrigerate for a week before consuming. The tomatoes only improve with age and will stay fresh in the fridge for several weeks.
Catherine Purple says
I’m thinking I want to can this in a water bath so as to have later in the year. Any reason not to?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
This recipe is not designed for canning. You need to have sufficient acidity to do that. I would recommend trying my canned cherry tomato recipe instead. My favorite. I can a few jars every summer and we enjoy them in winter/early spring.
Megan says
Do you ever use these in pasta sauce or salsa?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi, no, I every summer I make pasta sauces and salsa from my heirloom tomatoes, so no need. But I like where you are going with that. I used to make pasta sauce from canned San Marzano tomatoes. These are not much different, except have skins which will need to be removed and are way more flavorful.
Betsy says
I can't wait to try this recipe! However, not familiar with "dill umbrella". I looked it up and am positive I won't find in my area. Can I just use dill sprigs? Thanks.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Your only options for dill umbrellas is if you grow dill yourself or you can find them at farmers markets during season and some grocery stores. But yes, you can use dill sprigs. They aren't as intensely flavorful as umbrellas but are a good substitute. I use them too with great results.
Russ says
Looks and sounds awesome!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Thank you.
Donna says
I would like to make this as well as your pickled cabbage recipe.... you list sunflower oil on both recipes but you do not have it listed in the actual recipe at all so I have no idea how much sunflower oil to use! Please advise.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
Hi Donna, I add a little bit of oil to the pickled cabbage but not to pickled tomatoes, that's why there isn't any in the recipe. I mentioned oil in the post but it was a typo. I corrected it. Enjoy!