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A simple and delicious tomato relish recipe, perfect for keeping in the fridge or to give as gifts. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Tomato Relish
If you are looking for a delicious accompaniment to serve at a barbecue, whether alongside some grilled meats or sausages, or perhaps to dollop on a Classic Meat Pie, this tomato relish is for you.
Why This Recipe Works
- Make a homemade tomato relish with just a punnet of tomatoes and some basic pantry ingredients.
- This recipe for a small batch tomato relish takes no more than 30 minutes to cook.
- This tomato relish keeps well in the fridge and is also perfect to give as gifts.
Tomato Relish Recipe
This tomato relish recipe comes from Donna Hay magazine and, like most of her recipes, it is super quick and super easy to make.
I make it so regularly that I doubt I will ever try any other recipe, lest it disappoint me.
Cherry Tomato Relish
This Cherry Tomato Relish is great to make in small batches – it uses a punnet of cherry tomatoes and which should be enough for one or two meals.
But you can, of course, use any tomatoes in this recipe. In fact, if you grow tomatoes in your garden, this is a great recipe to make in a large batch, particularly at the end of the season, to store in the fridge or to give away as gifts.
How to Make Tomato Relish
For a basic tomato relish, start by sautéing the onion and garlic in some oil. Use a medium-sized saucepan, or one which will only be half-full with all the ingredients; anything smaller and the boiling mixture is likely to overflow.
If you wish to add additional flavourings to the tomato relish recipe below, such as mustard seeds or chilli flakes (see Variations below), add them to the onion and garlic mixture.
Add the tomatoes, together with the sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
For cherry tomatoes, I simply halve them. If you are using large tomatoes, roughly chop them into small pieces.
Simmer the mixture on high heat and stir the mixture frequently.
As the tomatoes cook, they will release a lot of liquid. Let the mixture bubble away so that the liquid can evaporate. Once this happens, the mixture will start to thicken.
Once the mixture has thickened nicely, taste for seasoning.
Serve the tomato relish warm, or pour it into warm sterilised jars and seal while still warm.
Variations
The tomato relish recipe below is lovely as it is, and I often follow the recipe to the letter without making any changes.
But after having received so many wonderful comments below, I have tried some variations here and there, and I think this tomato relish recipe is simply a great blueprint.
If you like a bit of spice, I would add a dash of dried chilli flakes(crushed red pepper) or even some chipotle chilli powder.
Some roasted mustard seeds or fennel seeds also give the tomato relish a gentle spice.
What to Serve with Tomato Relish
I recommend serving tomato relish anytime you would use tomato sauce or ketchup, like for the following:
Aussie Meat Pies
Classic Meat Pies
Pie Maker Meat Pies
Cherry Tomato Relish
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.6 from 11 reviews
- Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 to 1 1/2 cups
- Category: Preserving
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Australian
A simple and delicious tomato relish recipe, perfect for keeping in the fridge or to give as gifts.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
- pinch of sea salt
- 500g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, halved (or large tomatoes, chopped)
- 110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 125ml (1/2 cup) red wine vinegar
- sea salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the oil to a medium-sized saucepan (see Kitchen Notes below).
- Cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of sea salt over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they have softened.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, sea salt and pepper.
- Mix well.
- Turn the heat up to high and let the mixture come to a boil.
- Keep cooking at high heat for about 15-30 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and looks jammy. The tomatoes will release some liquid during cooking, and the mixture will start to thicken once the liquid evaporates.
- During this time, gently break down any tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stir the mixture from to time to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the mixture has thickened, taste for seasoning. You may want to add some more sugar or more vinegar.
- Serve the tomato relish warm, or spoon the mixture into a warm sterilised jar and seal.
Kitchen Notes
RIGHT SIZED SAUCEPAN
Make sure your pan is only half-full with all of the ingredients so that there is room for the mixture to bubble away and boil. Otherwise, the mixture is likely to overflow.
RECIPE CREDIT
Recipe adapted from Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 41, Oct/Nov 2008.
VARIATIONS
This cherry tomato relish is delicious as it is but, as you will read in the comments below, many readers have added other flavourings with much success. Suggestions include chillies, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, Worcestershire sauce … I love to add some chipotle chile powder for a bit of a kick.
STORAGE TIPS
This cherry tomato relish keeps well in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Nutritional info per recipe
- Calories: 619
- Sugar: 111.1g
- Sodium: 610.8mg
- Fat: 14.2g
- Carbohydrates: 120.4g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 3.7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
#eatlittlebird
Update
This recipe was first published on 31 January 2012. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.
