Green Tomato Chutney
By Gifts Cooks Love: Reprinted with permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing, recipes by Diane Morgan, photography by Sara Remington
Green Tomato Chutney
By Gifts Cooks Love: Reprinted with permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing, recipes by Diane Morgan, photography by Sara Remington
Yield/Serves:
Makes 6 pints
- 4 pounds green tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1½ pounds (2 medium) yellow onions, chopped
- 1 pound (2 large) firm, tart green apples, cored and chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic
- 2½ cups cider vinegar
- 2½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1½ tablespoons mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 5 fresh medium-hot red chiles, with seeds and ribs, thinly sliced into rounds
- ¾ cup dried currants
Cherokee Green, Green Giant, or even the smaller Green
Zebra heirloom tomatoes are lovely to look at and luscious
to eat, but these are not the tomatoes used to make this
fabulous end-of-summer chutney. Rather, seek out the
orphaned, firm, and completely underripe tomatoes that
hang on the vines in every gardener’s vegetable patch,
for they are the desired tomatoes for this recipe. With
fresh chiles and early fall apples also peaking at this time
of year, this chutney is a seasonal delight to share with
friends. Choose fresh chiles that deliver a real heat kick,
or make milder-flavored chutney by using red-skinned
Anaheim chiles.
Combine the tomatoes, onions, apples, garlic, vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard seeds, salt, ginger, and allspice in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Decrease to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. As the mixture simmers, use a wooden spoon to push down the tomatoes so they become immersed in the liquid.
Add the chiles and currants and continue to simmer until the chutney is thick and the liquid is reduced, 30 to 45 minutes longer.
While the chutney is simmering, prepare the preserving jars and bring water to a boil in a water bath canner.
Remove the chutney from the heat. Using a wide-mouth funnel and filling one jar at a time, ladle the chutney into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles by running a long wooden utensil, such as a chopstick or wooden skewer, between the jar and the chutney. Wipe the rims clean. Seal according to the manufacturer's directions. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes, and then lift the canning rack and, using a canning jar lifter, transfer the jars to a towel-lined, sturdy rimmed baking sheet and let them rest. Check the seals, wipe the jars, and label.
Storing: Store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Combine the tomatoes, onions, apples, garlic, vinegar, sugar, honey, mustard seeds, salt, ginger, and allspice in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Decrease to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. As the mixture simmers, use a wooden spoon to push down the tomatoes so they become immersed in the liquid.
Add the chiles and currants and continue to simmer until the chutney is thick and the liquid is reduced, 30 to 45 minutes longer.
While the chutney is simmering, prepare the preserving jars and bring water to a boil in a water bath canner.
Remove the chutney from the heat. Using a wide-mouth funnel and filling one jar at a time, ladle the chutney into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles by running a long wooden utensil, such as a chopstick or wooden skewer, between the jar and the chutney. Wipe the rims clean. Seal according to the manufacturer's directions. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes, and then lift the canning rack and, using a canning jar lifter, transfer the jars to a towel-lined, sturdy rimmed baking sheet and let them rest. Check the seals, wipe the jars, and label.
Storing: Store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.