Green Tomato Chutney

In temperate zones, a short hot summer can quickly fade away to cold nights and frosty mornings. For gardeners with tomato bushes this can be disappointing if the tomato plants have been slow to take off. But green tomatoes have many fine uses and there are some lovely old recipes from a time when nothing could be wasted from the garden.

Chutneys are like a savoury jam. They are easily made from finely chopped fruits and vegetables and are cooked slowly to produce a mellow flavour. They are used with cold meats and cheeses, or roast meats, or to add richness to casseroles, stews, gravies and sauces. When properly cooked and stored, they can keep for up to 2 years, and they make nice gifts.

Old Fashioned Green Tomato Chutney

• 1 1/2 kg (3lb) green tomatoes chopped
• 250gm (1/2lb) onions finely chopped
• 2 1/2 (625ml) cups cider or malt vinegar
• 1 kg cooking apples chopped
• 500g (1lb) brown sugar
• 250 g (1/2 lb) sultanas
• 3 teaspoons mustard powder
• 4 chillies, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1cm fresh ginger, finely chopped)
• 2 teaspoons salt

Method

Simmer the onions in a little water until soft. Drain.

Put the onions, tomatoes and remaining ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Pour carefully into warm sterilised jars and when cool, seal and label.

Can be used immediately, but flavour will improve if left for a week.

Tips on Chutney Making

If jars don’t have lids, chutney can be covered with two layers of greaseproof paper and one layer of aluminium foil, then tied securely with string. There should be a small space between the top of the chutney and the lid.

For a milder, fresh ginger flavour bruise a full piece of ginger (1 to 2 cm, or 1 inch long) into the chutney with the other ingredients, and fish it out before bottling.

Jars can be sterilised by placing in a low oven after washing in hot soapy water or half fill jars with cold water and microwave until water boils (11/2 – 2 minutes on HIGH). Jar lids should be placed in a saucepan with water covering and brought to the boil.

Remember that cooking with hot sugar and fruit can give horrendous burns that stick, so be careful and keep cold water nearby for quick treatments.

Using produce grown in the garden and making a tasty chutney can be a very satisfying experience. It is a far better feeling to use up the green tomatoes in a flavourful chutney than to throw them in the compost. In the depths of winter, stirring a dollop of chutney into a warming stew may bring back memories of a glorious summer and the tomatoes that refused to redden and a small taste of summer may just infuse the meal.

Also see Green Tomato Jam for a sweet use for unripened tomatoes.