This green tomato recipe is taken from Plot to Pot by Madeleine Cardozo and is supposed to be made in late September. Ideal when the summer has run out and there are still green tomatoes on the vine with no more sun to ripen them.
Remember all the other years when this was a problem? Well this year the green tomatoes are available for a different reason. The long, hot dry spell of weather means that it is all too easy for tomato plants to become too dry. The gardener takes their eye of the watering for a moment and the plant is in defense mode. And the first reaction of a tomato in defense mode is to drop its precious fruit all over your greenhouse floor.
As a result, rather than this recipe coming out in September i am sharing it with you now in the hope that you can make use of those green tomatoes...
Green Tomato & Apple Chutney
Imagine that you have worked so hard to get tomatoes and it is now late September and these tomatoes are still green and going to rot if you don’t do something with them. The answer – chutney! Perfectly timed if you have cooking apples as September is when they are just ripe enough to start cooking with and you may even be able to use your own onions if you have plenty.
Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes
Don't waste fallen green tomatoes...
Ingredients:
3lbs 8oz (1.575Kg) green tomatoes
1lb (450g) onions
1lb 8oz (680g) cooking apples
1oz (25g) sea salt
1/2 oz (12.5)g peppercorns
1lb (450g) preserving sugar
2 pints (1.2lt) vinegar
8oz (225g) raisins
8oz (225g) sultanas
Directions:
- Slice the tomatoes, peel and chop the onions and peel, core and chop the apples. Mix in a bowl with the peppercorns and salt.
- In a large pan boil up the vinegar and sugar, add the raisins and sultanas, then boil gently for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, onions and apples to the pan and simmer until thick.
- Pour into hot, clean jars and close the lids quickly to create a vacuum which will preserve the chutney.
For printable PDF click here Green Tomato & Apple Chutney