The only tomato that I grow successfully are cherry tomatoes. Kids can grow them successfully so that gives me confidence. This year I grew Sungolds, which are very sweet. The plant is prolific but I don't mind. I have a use for even the unripe green ones.
In Vietnamese, tomatoes are called ca chua (sour eggplant). Tomatoes and eggplants are both nightshade family members, and eggplant was first domesticated in Asia (its wild kin were growing in Africa). When tomatoes arrived from the new world, people experienced them vis a vis eggplant. Sour eggplant makes sense.
Because of the botanical link and the fact that Viet people love pickled small, round, slightly crunchy white eggplants called cà pháo trắng (Solanum macrocarpon) -- which are hard to get fresh in America, I pickle green, unripe tomatoes. I've pickled large ones but the small cherry tomatoes bring the experience closer to that of eating cà pháo. The eggplants are a wild cultivar that originated in west Africa and now grows in many parts of Africa.
What is the pickle flavor? Tangy but also with hints of lemongrass, a touch of chile heat and pungency of garlic. This is not traditional pickled eggplant. It's my modern take using a different vegetable.
You don't have to know the original to appreciate this riff. It's tangy, slightly snappy, and fun. Eat the pickled cherry tomatoes with a sandwich, rice bowl, or just snack on them. The pickle is ready to eat in 24 hours, too. If you're looking at green cherry tomatoes on the vine, here's a fantastic way to put them to use.
Some notes for your pickling adventure.
Pick the Hard Ones
Only use hard, green ones. Any touch of further ripening means the pickle won't be as crisp as you'd like. When you harvest the green cherry tomatoes and drop them into a bowl, they should make a "thunk" sound to signal heartiness.
Tomatoes ripen after harvesting so if you let yours sit around for a few days, glean them for ripeness before pickling.
Seasoning Options
I grow lemongrass (here's a how-to post with gardening tips) and use the entire stalk for flavor. I wrap and tie the blades into a bundle before cooking them up with the other ingredients. You can simply use store-bought lemongrass. As for the chile, use chile flakes, if you don't have fresh hot chile around. Then there's just a large clove of garlic.
A pinch of turmeric lends a slight golden hue as the tomato will dull in the brine. Other ingredients are pickling stuff -- salt, sugar, distilled white vinegar and water. So simple.
Gauging how much to make
Your plant has so much to give. Halve the cherry tomatoes and put them into a measuring cup. The volume amount will tell you what size jar to use. I had about 14 ounces of cherry tomatoes which filled about 3 ½ cups so I pickled in a quart-size container.
Partially Pack at First
I used to fill the jar with with all the tomatoes and struggle with getting all the brining assets in without making a mess. This year, I got smart. So, to make sure you can cram the lemongrass into the jar, fill it partway, add the solids from the brining liquid, then add the remaining tomatoes. Finally, fill the jar with brine.
Ready to pickle? Here's the recipe to play with!
Green Cherry Tomato and Lemongrass Pickle
Ingredients
- 14 to 16 oz unripe, green cherry tomatoes
- 1 large or 2 small lemongrass stalks
- 1 large garlic clove, lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or 2 fresh Thai or serrano chile, split lengthwise
- ⅛ tsp ground turmeric (optional, for bright color)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar, preferably Heinz
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
- Stem and halve each cherry tomato. Pack half of them into a 1-quart glass jar. Hold the rest for now.
- Trim then cut the lemongrass into 3- to 4-inch pieces, then smack the pieces with the back of a knife or a meat tenderizer to break the fibers and release flavor. If using homegrown lemongrass then save the nice green blades and tie them into a bundle; use that too!
- Put all the lemongrass in a small saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes (or chile), turmeric, salt, sugar, vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil, stir to make sure the sugar has dissolved, then take off the heat. Wait for the bubbling to subside.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to transfer and tuck the lemongrass, garlic and chiles into the partly filled jar of tomatoes. Add the remaining tomatoes. Now, pour the hot brine into the jar. Gently push the tomato, lemongrass, garlic, and chile down. Aim to submerge them in the brine. They will not go easily and that’s ok.
- Partly cover with the lid and let cool completely at room temperature. Stir to circulate the tomato halves, cap, and refrigerate overnight before eating. Keep for up to a month.
Thai Pham says
Chi, step #4 you reference snow peas, but should probably be tomatoes.
Andrea Nguyen says
Duh, Thai! Thank you. Fixed!
Aaron says
I live in Philadelphia, and can get ca phao trang at local markets. Probably easier than getting green cherry tomatoes for me. Can I use the same recipe? Thanks!
Andrea Nguyen says
Hi Aaron -- you're in Philly! I'll be there in October for two book events with local Vietnamese chefs. I can't wait!
I'm not sure if you can make this with actual ca phao but it wouldn't hurt to try with a small batch. The eggplant can be pricey, when available. I'd halve small ones (no bigger than 3/4 inch) and quarter bigger ones. Ca phao has thicker skin than the cherry tomatoes.
let me know how it works for you with the eggplants. I'm incredibly curious!