To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, that is the question

[larry_stewart]

End of the garden season and I have dozens of unripe green tomatoes .
I figured I'd make a batch of pickled green tomatoes, which I have done multiple times over the years.
I use a recipe my father gave to me. Basically 2:1 water to vinegar, salt, spices, garlic. Bring brine to a boil. Let cool to room temp. Fill the jar ( which has already been packed with green tomatoes) enough to cover. Ready to eat in about 6 weeks.

The only thing that wasnt written is whether to store in the. refrigerator or on the counter for the 6 weeks. Im assuming it's the fridge, as it's not really a fermentation thing, but I forgot what I did in the past.

Any suggestions ?

 

[GotGarlic]

I think I'd pour the brine over the tomatoes while it's still hot, then let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The brine will penetrate better when it's hot, so they'll be ready to eat sooner.

 

[Andy M.]

When I was a kid my parents made pickles in gallon jars and stored them in a cool back hall. We pickled around this time and aimed to open the first jar for Thanksgiving. We refrigerated the opened bottles.

I've done the same thing using their recipe but I didn't have gallon jars. Stored the unopened jars in the cellar.

 

[cookiecrafter]

Your kitchen could get too hot for counter top storage. A good idea above to pop them into fridge when cool.

 

[Badjak]

It will never do any harm to refrigerate
I think your acid amount is too low to keep them out for too long.
I use 1:1 (up to 1.5 to 1)vinegar (5%) to water and haven't seen anything go bad outside the fridge, even in the hot season (100+ F)

 

[larry_stewart]

Yeah, I let them sit overnight and will not put them in the fridge. Im pretty sure that's what I did in the past.