Make Your Own Pickled Cherry Tomatoes to Savor Summer Flavor

Katlyn Moncada
·2 min read

We're used to preserving our summer garden favorites by canning corn or pickling cucumbers. And while canning tomatoes might seem like the best way to save the larger red fruits from your garden, we're big fans of saving our cherry tomatoes for pickling. That's right, those entire little red and yellow fruit can easily be pickled whole! Pickling cherry tomatoes follows the same canning rules as the rest of your produce. If you're a first-timer, we'll show you step-by-step how to make pickled cherry tomatoes so you can enjoy them year-round.

Blaine Moats

How to Make Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

For this process, we're using our Better Homes & Gardens pickled pear tomato recipe, by swapping in cherry tomatoes for the pear tomatoes.

  1. Wash your tomatoes. You want to make sure any possible harmful contaminants are gone.

  2. Gently toss together tomatoes, onion, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Set aside.

  3. In a large heavy saucepan ($50, Target), combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and your pickling spices. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often.

  4. Pack tomato mixture into hot, sterilized canning jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles in jars before wiping the jar rims and adjusting the lids.

  5. Process jars in your boiling-water canner ($38, The Home Depot) for 15 minutes, starting your timer once the water returns to boiling. Cool completely and store in your pantry for up to one year.

Quick Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

For a quick-pickled version (aka how to pickle cherry tomatoes without a canner), our Test Kitchen recommends using the same process as the canning version above, just skip processing in a water bath. Since they won't be sealed, store them in the refrigerator instead and enjoy within one week.

Now that you've got all these pickled cherry tomatoes, you might be wondering what to do with pickled cherry tomatoes. Of course, you can enjoy those pickled delights right out of the jar as an appetizer or snack, but they'd make a great addition to your charcuterie board. Or you could swap the olive on your martini for a skewered cherry tomato instead, use as a bloody mary garnish, add to salads, mash or slice them for a bit of tang on sandwiches and wraps. Even try them coarsely chopped as a topper for chicken, fish, pork, burgers, and steaks. There are all kinds of pickled cherry tomatoes uses yet to be dreamed up.