Courtesy Jordan Champagne, owner, Happy Girl Kitchen Co.
This recipe keeps the tomatoes whole and suspended in a light vinegar brine. They are marinated with basil, garlic and black peppercorns, so they have a nice strong flavor on their own and look beautiful. My favorite way to use them is whole, right out of the jar on a bruschetta sandwich or as a side dish. The juice is divine for dressings and marinades.
Dry-farmed tomatoes Basil
Black peppercorns Garlic
Wash and remove the stems from the tomatoes. Cut tomatoes that are too large to fit into pint-sized jars.
Prepare the jars with 1/8 teaspoon of peppercorns, 1 clove of garlic and a sprig of basil. These are all optional but add to the beauty and flavor of the final product. Fill the jars with your prepared tomatoes.
Make the brine. In a stockpot, heat the following liquid solu- tion. Each pint jar will need about 1 cup of this solution.
8 quarts filtered water
2 quarts apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sea salt
All the juice from cutting the tomatoes
Pour hot liquid solution into jars up to the fill line. Wipe off rims and put lids on fingertip tight. Process in a hot water bath, 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
Note: As tomatoes potentially can be on the borderline of safe acidity (pH of 4.6) for hot water bath canning, be especially careful following this recipe in order to avoid the risk of botu- lism. (Using a pressure canner reduces this risk.) Cooking times are for room-temperature tomatoes; to ensure that jars seal properly, increase cooking time if tomatoes have been refrigerated. Never use low-acid tomatoes, such as white or yellow varieties or anything overripe (squishy). When in doubt, add an extra splash of lemon juice or vinegar to kick up the acidity.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
