Home made baked beans are really easy to make and taste delicious. Make them from…
Home Made Tomato Relish
Home made Tomato relish brings the taste of Summer to the table in a jar. Making your own is easy and the taste is much nicer than shop bought. Serve your tomato relish with cheese, cold meats, burgers, steak or sausages. It is a simple way to add more taste to your plate.
Chutney came from India where it is a mixture of fresh fruits and spices. During the colonial era the British imported the recipe and made it their own. Local ingredients were used like apples and onions instead of mangoes and tamarind. The British chutneys used more vinegar making them last longer.
Making chutney became the go to way to preserve a large crop of fruit and vegetables. British summers often result in a glut of green tomatoes that will not ripen. During WW2 the Ministry of Food dispensed advice to make food go further. One of these suggestions was green tomato chutney and it has been a store cupboard staple ever since. Red tomato relish or chutney is a variation of this.
Tomato Relish
Ripe tomatoes are part of Summer. A simple tomato salad in a vinaigrette dressing with tomatoes straight from the vine is perfect for sunny days. Tomatoes are only really ripe in the Summer. Although you can buy tomatoes in the winter the taste is not the same. They are insipid and lacking in flavour. It is always best to try and eat the fruit and vegetables that are in season for the best taste. January is best for root vegetables and cabbages. Tinned tomatoes are always in season and I made this tomato relish with them.
I chose to use Cirio Pomodorini, the cherry tomatoes are ideal for this recipe. They have a sweet and intense flavour which makes tangy and irresistible tomato relish. I love Cirio tomatoes, all their varieties are full of flavour. The rich taste of the tomatoes makes a meal taste much nicer.
This recipe does not use the tomato juice from the can. Save the juice and use it in pasta sauce, a soup or a stew to add extra taste. The tomato relish is quick and easy only taking half an hour to make. Boil the tinned tomatoes, some onions and garlic with vinegar, sugar and salt. a nice chunky mixture will form and then stir in a few spices and spoon into warn sterilised jars.
I recently won a selection of cheese from Bradburys cheese. There was a cheese for everyone with vintage cheddar, red Leicester, blue Stilton, Saxon cross smoked cheddar and Stilton with mango and ginger. These were perfect for serving with the tomato relish. My particular favourite is the Stilton with Mango and Ginger. It has a rich creamy taste that works well with the fruit. The tomato relish is also perfect for serving with burgers, ideal for a summer barbecue.
How to sterilise a jar
It is important to sterilise the jar before adding the chutney to it. Sterilising will removes any bacteria which will ensure that the contents last longer. If you do not do this the food inside the jar can spoil and go off quickly.
Sterilising a jar is simple. Preheat your oven to 140C, 120C fan, gas 1. Carefully wash your jars in hot soapy water then rinse with warm water. Place your jars on a baking sheet and put in the oven for fifteen minutes. When your chutney is ready spoon it into the warm jars. To ensure you don’t spill any chutney whilst adding it to the jar use a jam funnel. This wide funnel sits in the jar and catches any overspill.
Tomato Relish Recipe
Tomato Relish
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh tomatoes or 2 x 430g tinned tomatoes
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup Chelsea Raw Sugar
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1-2 Tbsp extra vinegar
Instructions
- Fresh tomatoes: cut a small cross on the top of each tomato, place in large bowl, cover with boiling water, leave for a minute. Drain and rinse with cold water, peel off skins.
- Tinned tomatoes: drain off juice and set aside.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes; finely chop the onions and garlic.
- Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, sugar, vinegar and salt in a large saucepan and bring to the boil, reduce to a medium heat and gently cook for 15-20 mins.
- Mix the curry powder, mustard and cornflour with the extra vinegar to a smooth paste, stir into the tomatoes and cook until thickened.
- Spoon into warm, sterilised jars and seal. Refrigerate once opened.
- Makes: 1 large 500ml jar.
Why not pin the recipe to make later?
Other chutney recipes:
Galina V says
I never thought of making preserves with tinned tomatoes, what a great idea. Love the sound of your relish! I’m a great cheese lover, cheese with chutney is such a delicious combination, isn’t it?
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It works really well and has lots of flavour