100 Days of Real Food

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
×
Home » Recipes

Green Tomato Relish Recipe (Can or Freeze)

Green Tomato Relish recipe for canning green tomatoes on a table

Want to Save this Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!

Save Recipe

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.

three jars of homemade relish

Green Tomato Relish (without sugar)

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!
7 Reviews / 5 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free
Print Recipe
Servings: 96 (makes 6 pints)
Save Recipe Saved!

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
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.
Want weekly REAL FOOD meal plans made for you?→ Check It Out

More Recipes

  • Sausage stir fry.
    Sausage Stir Fry
  • Sausage broccoli pasta.
    Sausage Broccoli Pasta
  • Chicken sausage pasta.
    Chicken Sausage Pasta
  • Steak with veggies.
    Steak with Veggies
8.8K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Joy says

    September 19, 2023 at 4:48 pm

    Hi. I made this relish this weekend and it is delicious! I did not blend it at all, but left it chunky and used it as a salsa with tortilla chips. I made a huge amount of it with all the green tomatoes from my garden. I can see using it on so many things - burgers, tacos, chicken, as a dip...so many things. I saw the nutrition facts; what serving size are the based on?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    August 18, 2023 at 4:14 pm

    Hi Lisa,
    Do you think this recipe will work with ripe tomatoes? I love the idea that it is without sugar!!
    Thanks for your thoughts.
    Lynn

    Reply
    • Addison LaBonte says

      August 22, 2023 at 12:54 pm

      Yes, enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Marie Overgaauw says

    February 03, 2023 at 6:36 pm

    After making this twice I wondered if I could add some olive oil. What would you recommend? We love this recipe. Great addition to multiple dishes. Thank you:)

    Reply
  4. Vickie says

    November 01, 2022 at 3:47 pm

    Where is all the sodium coming from? 1801 mg seems like an excessive amount per serving.

    Reply
    • Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says

      November 01, 2022 at 10:26 pm

      Hi Vickie - Thanks for catching that...the serving size was listed as 6 pints (the recipe yield) instead of 2 tablespoons (standard serving size for salsa). I have updated the recipe so it should be accurate now :)

      Reply
  5. Elisa says

    September 17, 2022 at 5:19 pm

    There is no rhubarb in the recipe.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      September 19, 2022 at 11:40 am

      Correct. We have not tried this recipe to include rhubarb, but feel free to give it a try and let us know. - Nicole

      Reply
  6. Tambrisha says

    February 25, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    Could you replace the Jalapeños? I know that not everyone in the house would appreciate their addition. Just add more bell peppers?

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      October 28, 2021 at 9:03 am

      Yes! That would be fine if they aren't everyone's favorites. - Nicole

      Reply
  7. Dora says

    June 03, 2020 at 10:03 am

    I will give it a go and let you know! I need to reduce the quantity of the ingredients though, as I don't have a lot of rhubarb. Thank you :D

    Reply
    • LARA says

      October 12, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Wow! I just made this relish this morning. It is amazing:) I will definitely make this every fall when the frost hits and I have an abundance of green tomatoes still on the vine. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Dora says

    June 01, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    This sounds delicious...I'm looking for a 'no sugar' recipe for rhubarb relish. Do you think this recipe will work (replace tomatoes with rhubarb)? Thanks!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      June 03, 2020 at 10:00 am

      Hi Dora, we have not tried that with this recipe. If you think you'd enjoy those flavors with rhubarb as a substitute, let us know how it turns out if you give a try! - Nicole

      Reply
  9. Kathy from Westminster says

    October 08, 2019 at 9:44 am

    I love this recipe, but I had my doubts. How could green tomato relish be good without sugar? It’s so good. I had my three friends over for cards and served it with cream cheese and crackers. They all copied the recipe. The only change I made was to put in 3 jalapeños instead of 8 and I put in fresh cilantro when I served it. Thank you.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      October 10, 2019 at 9:57 am

      So glad you gave it a try! - Nicole

      Reply
  10. Debra T. says

    September 22, 2019 at 9:40 am

    I was looking for a recipe for green tomatoes that I didn't have to can.
    This looks great. How long can you keep it in the freezer? And is the consistency mush when its thawed?

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      September 25, 2019 at 9:36 am

      It should keep good for about 8 months or so. The consistency may breakdown over time. - Nicole

      Reply
  11. Darcia b says

    October 14, 2017 at 12:09 am

    When I processed my jars I never covered the jars in water because I didn't know I had to, for the hot water bath. They all seem to be sealed well. Are they safe to store?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      October 23, 2017 at 11:42 am

      Hi there. This might help: http://foodinjars.com/2009/11/how-to-check-that-your-seal-is-good/comment-page-1/.

      Reply
  12. Darcia b says

    October 13, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    When I processed my jars in the boiling water bath I did not cover the jars with water since I didn't know I should. If they are sealed properly are they safe to store? The seals all are seem good, except one.

    Reply
  13. Travis Walker says

    October 11, 2017 at 1:29 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. Very well detailed instructions. I would love to try it out in my kitchen and share this recipe with my friends.

    Reply
  14. Billy says

    July 17, 2017 at 1:06 pm

    5 stars
    What sort of recipes / dishes do you use this on? Is it more of a condiment or do you include it inside of dishes? Thanks for your reply! This looks delicious regardless.

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      July 24, 2017 at 11:33 am

      Hi. It's a condiment and is good on lots of things. I like it on fried fish. :)

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!


Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

Learn More

Popular

  • Sausage and potatoes.
    Sausage and Potatoes
  • Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.
    Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
  • Spaghetti squash boats.
    Spaghetti Squash Boats
  • How to cook spaghetti squash.
    How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Seasonal

  • Air fryer popcorn chicken.
    Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
  • Healthy blueberry pancakes.
    Healthy Blueberry Pancakes
  • BBQ chicken.
    Easy BBQ Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken cacciatore.
    Chicken Cacciatore

Footer

↑ back to top

Browse

  • Cookbooks
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
  • Favorite Products
  • Free Downloads

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Blog

  • About
  • Comment Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner With Us
  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 100 Days of Real Food