Pickled Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Harvesting fruits and veggies from the garden in the fall is such an exciting time of year, where so much of our hard work is paying off. We are thankful for the Lord's bountiful harvest. Rabbit manure makes our garden flourish so much. Our bunnies are so helpful, and they enjoy the benefits of the delicious greens as well.

Ingredients:

1 pound red and yellow cherry tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, cut in half

3 rosemary sprigs

1-1/3 cups organic white vinegar

1 cup filtered water

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Steps:

1. Gather the ingredients

2. Wash 2 wide-mouth, 16-ounce sanitized mason jars with fermenting lids

3. Wash and dry the tomatoes and remove any stems (give to your bunnies or chickens if possible).

4. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole all the way through both ends of the tomatoes. This keeps the tomatoes from floating and also infuses the pickling brine all the way through the tomatoes.

5. Evenly divide the tomatoes, garlic, and rosemary between the two jars

6. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, pure maple syrup, salt, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes

7. Bring to a boil over high and stir until salt dissolves and all the ingredients combined well.

8. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

9. Pour brine over the tomatoes in the mason jars.

10. Cover with fermenting lid and let sit on the counter for a day or two.

11. Put in refrigerator after a day or two.

12. Enjoy!!

13. If kept in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar, it should keep for 2 months.

How to Use them:

• In salads

• In pasta

• As snacks

• With cheese and crackers and hot tea

To Make the Tomatoes last longer:

Place a new ball mason jar lid on the jars. Place the jars in a boiling water canner and make sure the jars are covered with at least 2" of water. Return the water to a boil for ten minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and wait for the lids to make a popping sound to indicate they have sealed. Once sealed, the jars can be stored for one to two years.