Delia Smith Tomato Chutney Recipes

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Slice the tomatoes (you can skin them if you want, but it's not necessary). Finely chop the onions. Layer both in a large bowl with the salt. Leave overnight.
• The next day, chop the sultanas using a large, sharp knife, then peel, core and chop the apples. Put the sugar and vinegar into a large pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sultanas and apples and simmer for 10 mins. Strain the tomatoes and onions in a colander (but don't rinse), then tip into the pan and return to the boil.
• Simmer for about 1 hr, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Transfer to warmed jars (see tips, below) and cover with lids.

SPICED DAMSON CHUTNEY

Steps:

• You've got two options here. One is to halve the damsons, slitting them down the natural line of the fruit and twisting out the stones - very tedious. The other is to stew them gently with ½ pint (275 ml) of the vinegar and then, wearing rubber gloves, remove the stones as they separate themselves from the flesh - also tedious but, either way, it will only take about 25 minutes and I promise you it is well, well worth it. Place them in a preserving pan, then core the apples but leave the peel on, and finely chop them in a processor. Then process the onions, adding both these to the pan. After that, crush the garlic and add that, followed by the ginger, raisins, sugar and the (remaining) vinegar. Then sprinkle in the salt and stir everything thoroughly. Now wrap the cinnamon, allspice and cloves in the muslin (or gauze) and tie the top loosely with the string to form a little bag, which should then be tied on to the handle of the pan and suspended among the rest of the ingredients. Now bring everything to the boil, then lower the heat and let the chutney simmer very gently for 2-3 hours, stirring it occasionally and rather more often towards the end to prevent it sticking to the bottom. When almost all the vinegar has disappeared and the chutney has thickened to a soft consistency, do the channel test - if it is ready, when you draw a channel with a wooden spoon across its surface, it will leave an imprint for a few seconds without filling up with vinegar. While it is still warm, pour it into the hot, sterilised jars (see below), filling them as full as possible. Cover each with a waxed disc and seal tightly with a vinegar-proof lid. Label when cold and store the chutney in a cool, airy cupboard, leaving it to mellow for at least 3 months before eating. Note: To sterilise jars, wash the jars and lids in warm, soapy water, rinse well (again in warm water), then dry them thoroughly with a clean tea cloth, place them on a baking tray and pop them in a medium oven, gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) for a minimum of 5 minutes. Add their contents while they are still hot.

SMOKY TOMATO CHUTNEY

Steps:

• First of all, drain the sun-blush tomatoes of excess oil and pat dry with kitchen paper. (If using mi-cuit tomatoes, there will be no need to drain them.) Then heat a small, heavy-based frying pan and dry-roast the coriander and mustard seeds over a medium heat, turning them over and stirring them round for 2 minutes to draw out their flavour. Then crush them together with a pestle and mortar - not very much; they just need to be broken up. Now, making the chutney is going to be a lot easier if you have a food processor. In the past, an old-fashioned mincer was used for chutneys, and a processor is even faster, but if you have neither, then you just need to chop everything uniformly small. Add the sun-blush (or mi-cuit) tomatoes to the food processor and chop till roughly ¼ inch (5 mm) in size. Then add the fresh tomatoes and process briefly until they are the same size. Now pour the whole lot into the pan. Next, add the garlic and onions to the processor and process these to about the same size. Then transfer them to join the tomatoes and add the crushed spices, pimentón, sugar, vinegar and salt. Bring everything up to simmering point, stirring all the time, then, when you have a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low and let it cook very gently, uncovered, for 3-3½ hours. It doesn't need a great deal of attention - just come back now and then to give it a stir to prevent it sticking. The chutney is ready when all the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture has thickened to a nice soft consistency. The way to test for the right moment is by using a wooden spoon to make a trail all the way across the top of the chutney - if the trail fills with vinegary juices, it's not ready; when the spoon leaves a trail that does not fill with juice, it is. You need to watch the chutney carefully at the end because undercooking will make it too sloppy and overcooking will make it dry. When it is ready, allow it to cool a little and pour it through the funnel into the hot, sterilised jars, filling them as full as possible. Cover each one straightaway with a waxed disc and seal with a vinegar-proof lid while it's still hot, but don't put a label on until it's cold. Store the chutney in a cool, dry, dark place for 8 weeks to mellow before using. To sterilise jars, wash the jars and lids in warm, soapy water, rinse well (again in warm water), then dry them thoroughly with a clean tea cloth, place them on a baking tray and pop them in a medium oven, gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) for a minimum of 5 minutes. Add their contents while they are still hot.

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY RECIPE

Steps:

• 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 in a dark cupboard. Refrigerate the jars once opened and try to use it within a year.

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Put all of the ingredients, except the muscovado sugar,into a preserving pan or large non-aluminium pan. Place the pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 1-1½ hours, or until the ingredients have softened.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Return the pan to the heat and simmer the mixture gently for about 1 hour, or until the mixture has thickened. The mixture will need stirring occasionally to begin with but, as it thickens, it will need mor regular stirring to make sure that it doesn't catch and burn the base of the pan.
• Spoon the chutney into warm jars, ensuring that there are no air bubbles trapped in the mixture. Leave it to go cold, then cover the jars with vinegar-proof lids.