Tomato chutney

It’s the time of year where you may well find yourself in possession of the last, sad dregs of the tomato season. And I say ‘sad’ because in my experience, the crop that lingers on into Autumn is usually past its best. It is of course an even sadder feeling to waste any remainders of the Summer’s bounty and this is where tomato chutney comes in. Simmered with sugar and spices, any substandard dreg of a tomato cannot help but be improved, and if you jar it up and slam the lid on and leave it well alone for a few months, the flavour only gets better. If you find that your crop-dregs include a fair few green tomatoes, don’t let this worry you – I wrap green tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple and leave them in a sunny spot for a week or two until they become a little more ripe-looking. This method mightn’t make for the tastiest tomatoes for eating raw, but it really doesn’t matter if you’re using them for chutney. This is quite a sweet chutney, including an apple, whole mustard seeds to sharpen up the flavour a little. It goes very nicely with some sharp cheese, makes your sandwiches that little bit better and best of all, means the last of your crop can leave on and treat you during winter.

Ingredients

• 800g tomatoes
• 1 cooking apple, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 t mustard seeds
• 1 t garam masala or ground cumin
• 2 t salt

Method

• Place all ingredients into a large saucepan over medium heat, mix well and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring the heat down to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every so often to ensure nothing is sticking.
• Take off the heat and allow to cool, then place in sterilised jars and seal. Leave for at least a month before enjoying as a condiment or with cheese and crackers.