Green Tomato Chutney Recipe
Easy green tomato chutney recipe with green tomatoes, red onions, malt vinegar (5% acetic acid), and spices. This is a delicious condiment that pairs well with cheese and bread and cured meats. You can make it in an hour and the jars last up to a year.
Servings 5 Jars
Calories 35kcal
Cost $10
Equipment
- 5 clean and sterilized jars pint-sized
- Tattler BPA-free canning lids optional
Ingredients
- 1 Kg green tomatoes 2.2 lbs or about 6 cups / skinning is optional
- 1 Kg red onions 2.2 lbs or about 6 cups
- 150 g raisins 5.2 oz or about 1 cup - you can use ordinary raisins or golden raisins
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 500 g brown sugar 2.5 cups - your choice of dark or light brown sugar
- 1 Litre malt vinegar 32 fl oz or about 4.25 cups - vinegar with 5% acetic acid concentration
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Chop the tomatoes, onions, and raisins roughly and mince the garlic.
- Place all ingredients into a stainless steel pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a vigorous simmer and leave uncovered. Depending on batch size and your appliance's heat, it can take one to three hours. Keep an eye on it and stir regularly.
- The chutney is ready when it's reduced down and appears thick and brown.
- Spoon the chutney into warm, sterilized jars and seal with lids. It's common in the UK to reuse supermarket jars for homemade chutney and to simply finish with this step. If you do this, ensure that the lid of the jar doesn't have any exposed metal since the vinegar in the recipe can react with it. The vinegar can corrode the metal turning it black and potentially affecting your chutney. It's better to use preserving jars with non-metal lids. Either plastic-coated on the inside or two-piece Tattler lids. It's also best practice to water-bath the jars after they're filled*.
- Water-bath the jars to ensure that they're fully sterilized. Fill a tall pan with water and place a rack at the bottom if you have one**. Bring to a boil, then lower your (still hot) jars in so that they're not touching and that there's at least an inch of water above. Bring back to a rolling boil and leave the jars in the boiling water for ten minutes. Lift them out vertically (not tilted) with a jar lifter and set them on the counter to cool. The lids will seal as the chutney cools. It may take twelve or more hours for the seal to take.
- Label the jars when cool and store them in a dark cupboard. Green tomato chutney can last a year or more in storage if sealed. Homemade green tomato chutney is best enjoyed two to three months after it has been made, as the flavors will develop and mellow in that time. Once opened, keep the jar in the refrigerator and try to use it within two months.
Video
Notes
- In Britain, it's not common for people to water-bath high-acid preserves like this green tomato chutney. It's a safer practice since it kills any microbes that could affect high-acid preserves. It can help the lids to seal. You can read more on the history of current British preservation methods here.
- ** If you don't have a rack, you can also push a tea towel or potholder to the bottom of the pan and set your jars on it. The idea is that you protect the bottoms of your jars from the direct heat of the hob/pan.
- This recipe can take a long time to cook down, but the time is worth it. You can reduce the amount of time by simmering at a faster simmer. Remember to stir regularly to avoid the chutney burning at the bottom of the pot.
- If you want to add other spices that you and your family love, feel free! It won't taste like the original recipe, but you could invent a family favorite. Common spices in chutney include cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, coriander, curry leaves, allspice, tamarind, green chilies, and cinnamon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 0.1g | Fiber: 2g