Get ready for the sensational flavor journey of Fire and Ice Tomato Salad–a refrigerator pickled side that also makes a tasty snack. With a spicy brine that includes cayenne pepper and celery seed, each bite of this tomato, red onion and green pepper salad has just the right amount of heat to satisfy your taste buds.
Why We Love It
One of my favorite recipes to make when I have a ton of ripe tomatoes is this delicious Fire and Ice Tomato Salad. This is a fantastic pickled salad with American Southern roots that somehow made its way up to me in Pennsylvania–and I’m so glad that it did!
This tasty pickled tomato salad starts on the “fire” (stovetop) where its delicious brine, which includes cayenne pepper, is boiled at top rolling speed. That fiery brine then turns to “ice” when it pickles fresh tomatoes, green peppers and red onion overnight in the fridge. Topped with some cool slices of English cucumber just before serving, this is a glorious flavor journey for your taste buds that’s hard to beat.
So what’s the best part about this refrigerator pickled side dish? Well, honestly everything! The brine is wonderfully flavored with white wine vinegar, celery seed, cayenne pepper and more. And it compliments the garden fresh tomatoes, green peppers, red onion and cucumber just perfectly.
Why You’ll Love It
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad is fairly simple to make and keeps well in the fridge. I like to peel the tomatoes, but that is optional (I know this adds a little bit of work, but the salad does keep better this way). And, after the initial peeling, slicing and pot boiling, this salad is pretty hands off.
Most of the flavor magic is done overnight in the fridge while the salad marinates, which means you get to sit back and relax while you look forward to the deliciousness the following day!
While you’re waiting, check out English Cucumber Salad! It’s not pickled and isn’t as spicy, but it has similar ingredients with a Mediterranean flare.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad Ingredients
- 6 large, vine ripened tomatoes
- 1 large green pepper
- 1 large red onion
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar–may substitute distilled white vinegar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 large English cucumber *not pictured above–you may substitute Persian or mini cucumbers
How to make Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
Click here for a list of equipment needed for this recipe.
- vegetable peeler
- cutting board
- santoku or chef’s knife
- small saucepan with lid
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- stirring spoon
- 13×9 glass baking dish with lid
- salad prongs (if serving from glass baking dish)
- slotted spoon (if serving from bowl)
Getting Started
Prep the fresh ingredients:
- Skin tomatoes; seed; cut into quarters
- Halve pepper; seed; slice into strips
- Slice onion into thin rings
Then arrange the tomatoes, peppers and onion in a 13×9 glass baking dish.
Kitchen Ready Betty tip: I try to keep the tomatoes, peppers and onions separate from each other in the dish so guests can choose which items they want in their bowl.
To make the brine, combine vinegar, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, cayenne, black pepper and water in a small saucepan with lid. Bring to a rolling boil; boil furiously for 1 minute.
Immediately pour the hot brine over the fresh ingredients in the baking dish. Cool; then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Kitchen Ready Betty tip: Pouring the brine into the dish while it’s hot is the key to good, satisfying flavor.
Just before serving, slice the English cucumber and arrange with the other ingredients.
Serving option: You may choose to serve Fire and Ice Tomato Salad right out the dish it pickled in to give your guests a choice of which parts they want. Or, simply mix all the contents together and serve it in a large bowl; then place a few more cucumber slices on top!
Storing Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
Refrigerate leftovers and store in an airtight container. You may also choose to store this in a mason jar for optimal freshness, but please note this is not shelf stable.
If you peeled the tomatoes, leftovers will last for up to 2 weeks—just know, the longer this sits, the more pickled it gets!
If you didn’t peel the tomatoes, enjoy within 3 days before the skin starts to slough off.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
Description
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad starts on the "fire" (stovetop) where its delicious, spicy brine is boiled at top rolling speed. That fiery brine then turns to "ice" when it pickles fresh tomatoes, green peppers and onion in the fridge for 24 hours. Topped with some cool slices of English cucumber just before serving, this a glorious flavor journey for your taste buds that's hard to beat.
This salad makes a delicious snack and is also the perfect side or topping for your favorite sandwich or grilled protein.
Fire and Ice Tomato Salad
How to Make Fire and Ice Tomato Salad:
-
Prep the fresh ingredients:
Skin the tomatoes; seed; cut into quarters
Halve pepper; seed; slice into strips
Slice onion into thin rings
-
Arrange the tomatoes, peppers and onion in a 13x9 glass baking dish.
Avoid using a metal pan. The marinade's acidity will pick up a metallic taste. -
To make the brine, combine vinegar, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, cayenne, black pepper and water in a small saucepan with lid. Bring to a rolling boil; boil furiously for 1 minute.
-
Immediately pour the hot brine over the fresh ingredients in the baking dish. Cool; then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Pouring the brine into the dish while it's hot is the key to good, satisfying flavor. -
Just before serving, slice the cucumber and arrange with the other ingredients.
You may choose to serve Fire and Ice Tomato Salad right out the dish it pickled in to give your guests a choice of which parts they want. Or, simply mix all the contents together and serve it in a large bowl; then place a few more cucumber slices on top!
-
Refrigerate leftovers and store in an airtight container. You may also choose to store this in a mason jar, but please note that this is not shelf stable.
If you peeled the tomatoes, leftovers will last for up to 2 weeks--just know, the longer this sits, the more pickled it gets!
If you didn't peel the tomatoes, enjoy within 3 days before the skin starts to slough off.
Note
Using a glass baking dish is highly encouraged. At all costs, avoid using metal. The marinade's acidity could start to break down the coating on a metal pan, which would give a metallic taste and potentially be harmful.
Peeling the tomatoes not only makes this salad more palatable, it makes it last longer. When you don't peel the skin, it eventually sloughs off in the marinade.
Adding the cucumber isn't absolutely essential, but it does provide some extra coolness to this fiery delight! I like using English cucumbers because of their edible skin and seeds.
