Easy Refrigerator Pickled Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Sharing is caring!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase. Please read our disclosure policy.

This easy refrigerator pickled cherry tomatoes recipe uses simple ingredients that captures the best flavors of summer. Fresh summer tomatoes are pickled in a brine seasoned with fresh herbs. 

We can all agree, homegrown tomatoes have the best flavor, far exceeding anything you can buy from the grocery store. I love them so much that I always plant way more tomato plants than we need. And inevitably by late summer, our cherry tomato plants are bursting with ripe cherry tomatoes, more than what we know what to do with.

By the end of summer, when we’ve had our fill of eating fresh tomatoes, I look ahead how I can preserve them to extend their shelf life. My go-to, easy recipe is always refrigerator pickles. Making a quick refrigerator pickle is a great way to preserve the abundance of produce and comes together in minutes. 

Why You’ll Love Easy Refrigerator Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

• Seasonal Eating – Capture the best of eating in the season with these tasty tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are prolific producers, providing more than enough to preserve to enjoy for months to come.
• Flavor, Flavor, Flavor! Yep, using pickled tomatoes add a tremendous amount of flavor compared to tomatoes alone. Add them to any dish you would normally add cherry tomatoes, like pasta salads, a charcuterie board, flatbread or pizzas. 
• Quick – Making the pickling brine couldn’t be easier. Just like refrigerator pickles, making quick pickled cherry tomatoes comes together in minutes. 
• Customizable – Tailor these pickled tomatoes any way you want. Use whatever type of vinegar, herbs, or spices you want. That’s the beauty of making homemade food, you can make it how you want it. 
• No special equipment – Some preservation methods come with an initial upfront investment due to needing specific equipment, like canning. However, refrigerator pickles are so quick, easy, and uses common kitchen equipment, making it a great beginner preservation method.

What Do Pickled Tomatoes Taste Like?

Pickling cherry tomatoes gives them a bright, tangy flavor that is perfectly paired with the sweetness of cherry tomatoes. The texture of the tomatoes soften, but in the best way.

In addition to popping a few in my mouth for a quick snack, I love to throw a few tomatoes over my morning eggs or on a piece of toasted sourdough with melted cheese. Delicious!

The herbs in the brine accentuate the flavor, so use your favorite herbs. Experiment and find what combo of flavors you love. I love the dill and Italian flavors, but you could also use parsley, ginger, red pepper flakes, or onions.

Ways To Eat Pickled Tomatoes

• Make a crostini or a piece of toasted sourdough with burrata cheese, prosciutto, and pickled tomatoes.
• Top whipped feta with pickled tomatoes and dip with crackers.
• Add to a charcuterie board.
• Use in your favorite summer salad.
• Add a spoonful of sauerkraut and pickled tomatoes over scrambled eggs.

Equipment 

• A glass jar like a mason jar and tight-fitting lid. I like to use both quart jars or pint jars. 
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons

Ingredients To Make Easy Pickled Tomatoes

• Tomatoes – Use small, fresh tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes or pear tomatoes.
• Herbs – Season the brine with your favorite herbs and spices. Garlic cloves, black peppercorns, heads of dill, and sage leaves make excellent choices.
• Garlic cloves – Either use whole garlic cloves or garlic slices in the jar.
• Vinegar – Use your favorite vinegar. Champagne vinegar, white vinegar, or rice wine vinegar will be lighter in flavor. For more depth of flavor use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. My personal favorite is balsamic vinegar for it’s great flavor and the beautiful hue it adds to the jar.

How To Make Easy Refrigerator Pickled Tomatoes

Prep

Start with clean jars and equipment. Wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water and allow to dry to sterilize.

Wash the tomatoes. Use a small knife or toothpick to poke a small hole in each tomato, or cut them in half to allow the pickling brine to pickle the inside of the tomatoes. 

Add a clove of garlic, peppercorns, a few sage leaves, and a head of dill to the bottom of a quart jar. Fill jar half full with tomatoes. Add 2 sage leaves, a clove of garlic, and a head of dill, and then top with more cherry tomatoes.

Brine

Add salt, sugar, water, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar to a quart mason jar and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour the vinegary brine over the fresh cherry tomatoes, leaving an inch of head space.  

Place 2 piece lid and refrigerate.

Storage 

Store quick pickles in an airtight container using tight-fitting lids in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. ​

Expert Tips

• Insert a chopstick or butter knife into the jar to remove air bubbles. Top off with more brine solution.
• The key to storing pickles for any length of time is to make sure the food is kept under the brine solution.  
• For best results, let the pickled tomatoes marinade for 5 days before enjoying. 
• Label the jars with the date you picked the vegetables.