Small-Batch Green Tomato Relish

Small-Batch Green Tomato Relish is the perfect way to use up end-of-season garden tomatoes. Sweet, tangy, and packed with peppers, onions, and warm pickling spices, it's delicious on burgers, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, or served with cream cheese and crackers.

As summer comes to a close, gardeners everywhere start eyeing those stubborn green tomatoes that never quite had enough time to ripen. While fried green tomatoes tend to steal the spotlight, my favorite way to use them is this homemade Green Tomato Relish.

I first fell in love with green tomato relish while living in Ohio's Amish Country, and it's become one of those recipes I look forward to making every single year. It's somewhere between salsa, a tangy pickle relish, and a chow chow, making it incredibly versatile. Spoon it over burgers, pile it onto sandwiches, stir it into soups, or serve it over cream cheese with crackers for an easy appetizer.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it's a small batch. Instead of spending an entire weekend canning dozens of jars, this recipe yields about 2½ to 3 pints—just enough to enjoy yourself and maybe share a jar with a friend.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Great way to use end-of-season green tomatoes

• Small-batch recipe that's perfect for home cooks

• Sweet, tangy, and packed with texture

• Delicious on sandwiches, burgers, soups, and charcuterie boards

• Refrigerator-friendly with no giant canning project required

Ingredients You’ll Need

Vegetables

• 3 medium to large green tomatoes

• 1 medium white onion

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 red or orange bell pepper

• 1 white bell pepper (optional: if available, otherwise just use another bell pepper of your choice)

• 3 tablespoons salt (for drawing moisture from the vegetables)

Pickling Mixture

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds

• 1 tablespoon celery seed

• 2 teaspoons dried mustard

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh ginger (almost a paste)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

How to Make It

Step 1: Prep the Vegetables

Finely chop the tomatoes, onion, and peppers into small pieces—think somewhere between a dice and the texture you'd use for fresh salsa.

Transfer everything to a large bowl.

Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of salt and toss well to coat.

Cover and let sit for 2 hours.

This process draws excess moisture out of the vegetables and helps keep your finished relish flavorful instead of watery.

Step 2: Drain

After two hours, pour off all of the liquid released from the vegetables.

There's no need to rinse them—just drain well.

Step 3: Cook the Relish

Transfer the vegetables to a medium pot.

Add:

• apple cider vinegar

• sugar

• mustard seeds

• celery seed

• dried mustard

• turmeric

• minced ginger

• salt

• black pepper

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Allow it to boil vigorously for 3–4 minutes, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Continue cooking for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The liquid should reduce slightly while still leaving enough brine to spoon into the jars.

Step 4: Jar the Relish

Ladle the hot relish into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ¼ to ½ inch headspace.

Wipe the rims clean before placing the lids and rings on the jars.

Turn the jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel and allow them to cool completely.

Store in the refrigerator after cooling.

Yield: Approximately 2½–3 pints.

Serving Ideas

This relish is incredibly versatile. Try it:

• Spooned onto burgers or veggie burgers

• On deli sandwiches or in wraps

• Stirred into black bean soup or chili

• Mixed into potato salad or pasta salad

• Served over vegan cream cheese (or goat cheese if you eat dairy) with crackers

• Alongside grilled vegetables or roasted potatoes

Final Thoughts

Every garden has those tomatoes that simply run out of time before the weather changes. Instead of letting them go to waste, this recipe turns them into something you'll be reaching for all fall and winter long.

Sweet, tangy, and just a little bit nostalgic, this Green Tomato Relish has become one of my favorite end-of-season traditions. If you're lucky enough to have a few green tomatoes left on the vine, I hope you'll give it a try—and if you do, I'd love to see your creations. Be sure to tag @plant.based.ginger so I can follow along.

Love, Light, and Lentils, my friends.

Sarah