A chutney virgin, first time making chutney from a potential glut of tomatoes

[Cloggyy]

What’s your top tips or recipes please?

I'd be wondering how much chutney one family can realistically eat. In our case none as we don't like the stuff.

Tomatoes actually freeze fairly well, I have a bag in my freezer of small ones frozen whole and larger ones cut up. I 'open' freeze them on trays lined with non-stick baking paper.
I throw a handful into any tomato-based sauce or soup.

Thanks, that’s a good point, but I’d like to give it a go at least!

Hi OP
This is a good one for using up green tomatoes
1kg green tomatoes
900g onions
450g Granny Smith apples
900g dark brown sugar
450g sultanas
110g sea salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
600ml cider vinegar

Chop veg and apples into small dice
Mix with rest of ingredients and heat till sugar dissolved
Simmer for about 2.5 hours till a wooden spoon drawn through leaves a clear line
Spoon into sterilised jars (makes about 7/8 300ml jars)

Makes a dark chutney that’s great with strong cheese. Making it around now mellows it for Christmas
Easily stores for over a year

Thank you!

This is my recipe using both red and green tomatoes

750g tomatoes
350g onions or shallots
200g cooking apples

100ml malt vinegar.

2 red chillies, small, chopped very finely

Small piece root ginger
30g raisins
1 tsp salt
200g brown sugar

Put tomatoes, onions & apples in pan with 50ml of the vinegar.
Bring to boil, cook for 30 mins until tender.
Add ginger, chillies, raisins.
Cook on low heat approx 1 hour.
Add salt, sugar, rest of vinegar. Cook until thickened

This is an alternative I liked:
www.sarahraven.com/articles/de-kas-tomato-jam-recipe

I can't eat onions and apples so I do a tomato and chilli 'jam' type chutney which is basically all that ^^ (a bit of sugar and salt and spice) boiled a bit, with the tomatoes and chilli as the main ingredients.

It's very nice with cheese on toast.

How do you store the chutney? Is it ok in the cupboard or does it go in the fridge?

Also looking at a glut of tomatoes!

Red tomato
Coriander leaves
Garlic
Salt
Green chilli

Makes a nice Indian chutney.

My tip is that it takes a lot longer than they tell you! You need to cook it until you can draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and it stays dry, no liquid seepage. Make sure your vinegar is acidic enough to preserve for as long as you think you want to store the chutney.

I think Chutney Virgin would be a good username, or one for a race horse or greyhound.

These recipes look good. I've just brought out a beetroot chutney from under the house. larderlove.com/best-beetroot-relish-recipe/
The 4 cloves are too prominent. Overall too sweet but looks lovely.

twirls

if you're making chutney, please remove the skins!

I make chutney but as gifts for colleagues at Christmas. In the past I have made a tomato and chilli jam and tomato and pepper relish.

I roast cherry tomatoes and garlic and also make passata to freeze.

Could you please say why you need to remove the skins? My thinking is that a lot of the nutrients will be lost if the skin is removed. I just chop the tomatoes in half or quarters before boiling them.

My number 1 tip, if you have a dishwasher wash your jars and lids on the highest temperature setting and don't open the door until you need the jars.

I tend to use a 50/50 sugar to vinegar (pickling vinegar) and the biggest pan I have. I make up the spice mix differently each time.

I do take the skins off tomatoes but with mango I leave the skin on half.

@Whatsmynameagainplease

Yes it goes in the cupboard, I would put it in the fridge once opened. The vinegar and sugar are both preservatives.

I always use this recipe, reliable & usable for whatever you have a glut of www.rivercottage.net/recipes/glutney

Be prepared for your house to smell of vinegar for the next day or two, or invest in a good odour removing candle (Prices are good ones)

Chutney is easy to make, ensure you have a big enough saucepan and allow plenty of time for all the chopping. Takes time cooking and make sure you stir right to the bottom to stop it catching on the bottom. The messiest part is decanting into jars, if you can find a funnel with a wide tunnel it’s better.

Along with chutney, I can recommend making tomato sauce to use up glut of tomatoes. Find it so handy to grab a portion out of the freezer to make lasagna/bolognaise/quick pasta meal.

This is absolutely delicious!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mary-berrys-christmas-chutney

Could you please say why you need to remove the skins? My thinking is that a lot of the nutrients will be lost if the skin is removed

I can't stand the feel of tomato skins on my teeth, I can cope with fresh ones but not once cooked.
I doubt if they hold any nutritional value.

Make sure you make some of this OP. Very quick and easy, and gorgeous to eat!

Tomato chilli jam

Thank you