Tomato and Onion Chutney (Granny's Relish) (2024)

1. Score the tomatoes on the base.
2. Boil some water and dunk all the tomatoes in the hot water.

3. The skin will now slip off the tomatoes easily.

4. Roughly chop the tomatoes, sprinkle over a little salt and rest for at least 1 ½ hours in a colander to drain out some of the liquid.

9. Sterilize jam jars or mason jars and pour in the chutney.

10. Seal the lids tightly and allow to cool before labelling.

Why is my tomato chutney watery?

Watery chutney occurs when the chutney has not been cooked down enough. To remedy this, simmer it for longer until the liquid evaporates. You can speed this process up by cooking it in a wide pan.

What is the difference between a relish and a chutney?

Relish and Chutney are similar , however relish tends to be more of a fresh or lightly pickled condiment. Chutney tends to have fruit or vegetables simmered in vinegar and sugar for some time until it reduces.

• ▢ 1500 g (3 lb) Ripe Tomatoes
• ▢ 500 g (1 lb) White Onion
• ▢ 375 g (⅚ lb) Sugar
• ▢ 17 g (1 tablespoon) Salt
• ▢ 10 g (1 ½ tablespoon) Mustard Powder
• ▢ 7 g (1 tablespoon) Curry Powder (or garam masala)
• ▢ 500 ml (2 cups) Vinegar (malt/brown or apple cider )

• Using a sharp knife, score a small cross in the base of each tomato.

• Boil some water and cover the tomatoes. The skins should now slip off easily.

• Skin the tomatoes and roughly chop them and sprinkle over a little salt. Put them into a colander and leave to drain out their liquid for 1 ½ hours.

  1500 g Ripe Tomatoes

• Peel and finely chop the onions.

  500 g White Onion

• Sprinkle salt over the onions and put into a colander and leave to drain out their liquid for for 1 ½ hours.

• Add the tomatoes and onions to a large pan. Just barely cover them with vinegar (leave yourself a tablespoon for the next step).

• Bring the tomatoes, onion and vinegar to a simmer and add the sugar and what is left of the salt.

  1500 g Ripe Tomatoes, 500 g White Onion, 500 ml Vinegar, 375 g Sugar

• In a small bowl, mix up the curry powder and mustard powder with the tablespoon of cold vinegar you saved.

  10 g Mustard Powder, 7 g Curry Powder, 17 g Salt

• Add the curry/mustard mixture to the chutney.

• Simmer for 1 hour until the chutney is reduced and slightly sticky.

• Sterlize jars by washing them in hot water and putting into a low oven to dry out OR by putting them through a hot dishwasher.

• Once the chutney is reduced, let it cool so you can handle it.

• Add the chutney to the jars and screw the lids on tight. Label the jars and leave to mature for a few weeks (optional but the chutney tastes better)

Yields 6 x 250ml/8oz jars with roughly 25 servings per jar.

You might have a little left over, so put it in an airtight container and use that first.

We used to make double or triple (or more) of this recipe when cooking it with Granny. Be sure to have enough jars to take it all if you decide to do that! It also might take longer to cook down, so adjust the cook time accordingly.