7 Reviews / 5 Average

If you're big into canning, this Green Tomato Relish is a must try. I've broken down the steps and tips to make the process easier for beginners. This recipe is from Ashley Eller and Farm Girl Fare, and it's one of my favorites using green tomatoes!

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Green Tomato Relish recipe for canning green tomatoes on a table

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I’ve been waiting all year to have fresh red tomatoes in my backyard, but this green tomato relish recipe is SO incredibly delicious that I didn’t even think twice about plucking some off the vines before they could even ripen.

Green Tomato Relish Recipe for Canning or Freezing

Due to all the chopping and simmering, this recipe will require several hours of your time from start to finish. This isn’t a common theme with my recipes, so I wanted to be sure to point that out. If you aren’t into the “canning” thing you can easily shave off some time by simply freezing the end results. Either way you won’t regret it… yum!

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I was introduced to this recipe at my canning class with Ashley Eller earlier this year. Thank you Ashley!

A Delicious Homemade Sauce, Dip, or Condiment

I occasionally get obsessed with certain recipes, and my friends, this is one of them! I don’t think it’s a secret that I am also slightly obsessed with the crock-pot refried bean recipe, and let me tell you those beans are suddenly reinvented when topped with this relish (in addition to the standard melted cheese and sour cream of course)! Not that I haven’t been caught just eating this relish by the spoonful… :) Can you tell I am smitten?

We use homemade green tomato relish on all kinds of meals, not just burgers (or beans). It’s great as a salsa style dip with veggie chips, as a topping for most meats (especially pork), and as an extra addition to vegetable dishes. It even tastes good with eggs!

If anything, I’m trying to find what this green tomato relish doesn’t taste good on.

No Sugar Relish

It might be hard to believe that a relish recipe with no sugar tastes so good, but I wasn’t going to sacrifice quality or add refined sugar to this recipe. Thankfully there’s no compromises here; the apple and bell peppers add sweetness without no sugar for a delicious relish that our whole family loves.

Chunky Green Tomato Relish

This relish recipe is already pretty chunky, but if you want chunkier relish, skip the blender step and leave your relish as-is. You could also divide the relish and blend half for a mixture of chunk and smooth relish.

For a smoother relish, puree the mixture instead of dicing it.

Recipe for Canning Green Tomatoes: The Basics

If you are new to canning be sure to check out my honey strawberry jam tutorial for some detailed instructions, but in short you will need:

Canning pot with or without a rack (a dish towel can also be used to separate jars from bottom)
Canning jars with either new or reusable lids (we like the freezable kind with no “shoulders”)
Canning utensils including a jar lifter, funnel, bubble remover/headspace tool, and magnetic lid lifter
Clean dish towels
Sterilized tongs and ladle
A digital or analog scale
Optional: Thermometer and dissolvable canning labels (I love these labels…no more peeling off old masking tape!)

Also, please note it’s imperative that the rules of canning are always followed to a “T” in order to prevent spoilage or harmful bacteria in your end product!

Green Tomato Relish FAQs

How long will relish keep after it’s canned?

In my experience, homemade green tomato relish keeps for about 12 months in an air conditioned home.

How long will this recipe keep in the freezer?

Your homemade relish should be good in the freezer for 6 months if frozen properly (it will be safe to eat longer than that, but quality may suffer). Make sure to use a freezer-safe airtight container.

I don’t like spicy foods, can I replace the jalapeño peppers?

Yes! Swap the hot peppers out with another pepper variety of your choice. You could add more bell peppers to make up the jalapeños, or swap with another pepper variety like banana peppers (mild) or poblanos (slight spice, but milder than jalapeños.)

What’s the best time to pick green tomatoes for relish?

Pick tomatoes when they’re grown and just about to turn red. Here’s a great resource that might help you pick perfect green tomatoes.

Green Tomato Relish (without sugar)

7 Reviews / 5 Average

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 1 45

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Method: Freezer Friendly

Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free

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Servings: 96 (makes 6 pints)

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Ingredients

4 pounds green tomatoes
2 pounds onions (white or yellow)
1 ½ pounds red bell peppers
1 pound apples (like Granny Smith)
12 cloves garlic
2 cups apple cider vinegar (unpasteurized)
1 ½ tablespoons salt
8 jalapeños
4 tablespoons cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin

Instructions

Make Relish

Remove stem and core from green tomatoes and roughly chop into ½ inch or 1 inch pieces.
Add to a large pot with heat turned off while you prepare rest of ingredients.
Peel, roughly chop and add onions to pot.
Remove stem and seeds from red bell peppers and roughly chop as well.
Remove core from apples, discard, and roughly chop (including peel).
Mince garlic and add to pot along with onions, red bell peppers, and apples.
Add apple cider vinegar and salt to pot and set over high heat. When vinegar comes to a boil turn down to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
While relish is simmering finely chop jalapenos (only remove/discard seeds for half of them), chop cilantro, and set aside. I highly recommend wearing latex or rubber gloves while chopping the jalapenos otherwise your hands could sting for a few hours… I know this from experience!

Optional: Prepare Cans (if canning)

Fill canning pot three-quarters full with water, cover, and set over high heat until it comes to a boil. You can either sterilize your jars in this pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or by using the heated drying cycle in your dishwasher. It’s important to keep the jars hot and sterilized until ready for use. Be sure all canning utensils have been sterilized in hot soapy water as well.
Fill a small pot with water to sterilized lids and bands. Water for lids/bands should be hot at about 180 degrees F, but not boiling. Leave them in hot water (on simmer) until ready for use. If water gets cold remove lids/bands and heat up water to 180 degrees F again before adding them back in.

Finish Relish

After the 1 hour and 15 minutes is up the relish should have boiled down a bit.
Add the jalapenos, cilantro and cumin to pot and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Use either an immersion blender or potato masher to process the mixture into a small dice, but not a puree. I highly recommending owning an immersion blender if you don’t have one already…it’s perfect for pureeing soups and other recipes like this relish without having transfer batches back and forth between a blender, which makes a mess!

To Freeze

If you are freezing, this point divvy up relish among freezer safe containers and once cool transfer to freezer.
If using glass jars be sure to leave enough room at the top for the relish to expand during freezing. You can skip the remaining steps.

To Fill Jars for Canning

Turn relish back up to a boil.
Remove jars from hot water, shake out excess water, and set near pot.
Using a sterilized ladle and funnel, fill the jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace at the top.
Slide a non-metallic utensil into jar to remove any air bubbles.
Wipe off rim of jar with a clean cloth.
Using sterilized tongs (or magnetic lid lifter) carefully place lids onto filled jars. You can touch top of lids once they are on jar, but do not touch underneath or on inside of jar to keep everything sterilized.
Screw on bands by only touching the outside, although bands should not be too tight.

To Process Jars

Bring water in canning pot back up to a boil.
Using jar lifter carefully transfer jars to canning pot. Jars should not directly be touching the bottom of the pot and instead be separated either by a canning rack or simple dish towel.
Once water comes back to a boil start timing from that moment and process jars for 15 minutes.
After time is up using jar lifter carefully remove jars from boiling water and transfer them to a clean dish towel. Let jars rest until they cool.
If jar lids haven’t already popped/sealed you should hear the sound… and if a jar doesn’t seal within 24 hours transfer it to fridge and eat within 3 – 4 weeks.

Notes

Nutrition Facts

Green Tomato Relish (without sugar)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 15 Calories from Fat 1

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.1g0%

Saturated Fat 0.02g0%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.03g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g

Sodium 113mg5%

Potassium 81mg2%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 0.5g1%

Vitamin A 360IU7%

Vitamin C 16mg19%

Calcium 7mg1%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Green Tomato Relish Recipe (Can or Freeze)

Green Tomato Relish Recipe for Canning or Freezing