Gransnet forums

Food

Finally made Green Tomato Chutney!

(17 Posts)
Camilla7 Thu 02-Nov-23 16:01:48

After many years of hearing about it and faced with the sudden change in weather recently, I finally bit the bullet and made my unripe green tomatoes into Green Tomato Chutney with added dried figs and cooking apples. Tastes so good I'm adding it to most meals:-) How do you use up your green tomatoes at the end of the season?

Calendargirl Thu 02-Nov-23 16:28:54

I bring them into the conservatory, laid out on a big tray and just let them ripen gradually. I find they soon turn red, even if not very sunny.

Having some for tea soon, not as tasty as in the summer, but much better than supermarket ones.

Have sometimes still been eating our own fresh tomatoes at Christmas.

Calendargirl Thu 02-Nov-23 16:30:07

The green tomato chutney looks good though Camilla.

Used to make it but no longer have the green ones left over.

Whiff Thu 02-Nov-23 16:57:42

I made my green tomatoes chutney 2 weeks ago . It needs at least 4 weeks to mature before use. Made my mango chutney last week end same maturing time. Making red tomato chutney this week end that will need 4 week maturing.

All chutney improve being stored for 4 weeks before use in a dark dry cupboard. Keeps for 2 years but once open store in the fridge.

Camilla7 Thu 02-Nov-23 17:11:22

Whiff

I made my green tomatoes chutney 2 weeks ago . It needs at least 4 weeks to mature before use. Made my mango chutney last week end same maturing time. Making red tomato chutney this week end that will need 4 week maturing.

All chutney improve being stored for 4 weeks before use in a dark dry cupboard. Keeps for 2 years but once open store in the fridge.

I was aiming for a chutney that didn't require maturing and was delighted when it was edible that night with our all-day-fry up. My son insisted after helping to stir it that we try it straight away:-)

Whiff Fri 03-Nov-23 04:16:54

Camilla glad you enjoyed the chutney straight away. If you keep one jar for 4 weeks as an experiment . Then try it you will notice a marked difference in taste.

All chutneys can be eaten as soon as cold. But they do taste better after maturing . It's the reaction with the spices , vinegar,sugar and main ingredient that brings out more flavour. After decades of making them I only use cider vinegar. Gives a better flavour and colour.

Camilla7 Fri 03-Nov-23 11:09:25

Whiff

Camilla glad you enjoyed the chutney straight away. If you keep one jar for 4 weeks as an experiment . Then try it you will notice a marked difference in taste.

All chutneys can be eaten as soon as cold. But they do taste better after maturing . It's the reaction with the spices , vinegar,sugar and main ingredient that brings out more flavour. After decades of making them I only use cider vinegar. Gives a better flavour and colour.

Hi Whiff, I'd disagree that all chutneys taste good immediately, ones using malt or white vinegar definitely need to mature before eating which is why I chose to use white whine vinegar for this recipe. And yes all food tastes better once the flavours have had time to develop. Spag bol, soup all tastes better after a day or 2:-) Tomorrow is never guaranteed so we're enjoying the first half jar now:-)

Chardy Fri 03-Nov-23 11:56:25

Green tomato chutney is nectar, though I haven't made any for 45 years! (Kids get in the way of cooking for pleasure, I just got out of the habit. Homemade marmalade went the same way too)

Norah Fri 03-Nov-23 11:57:51

Camilla7 How do you use up your green tomatoes at the end of the season?

Slice, dust with flours, bake until crispy. Some I lay out to ripen on dish toweling covered sheet pans, in a spare bedroom.

nanna8 Fri 03-Nov-23 12:06:30

Awww- just stop it would ya? I’m hungry now. Figs and tomatoes sound fantastic.

Camilla7 Fri 03-Nov-23 12:15:02

Norah

Camilla7 How do you use up your green tomatoes at the end of the season?

Slice, dust with flours, bake until crispy. Some I lay out to ripen on dish toweling covered sheet pans, in a spare bedroom.

That something I've never tried. I have some savoury semolina mix that I make for roast potatoes, I might experiment using that next year:-)

25Avalon Fri 03-Nov-23 12:15:53

I use a spoonful of green tomato chutney instead of mango chutney when I make a curry.

I’ve just made red tomato chutney using a recipe from Farmer’s Girl kitchen. It has to wait 6 weeks before you eat it but it tastes pretty good right now.

Rosie51 Fri 03-Nov-23 12:23:57

I wish you could buy green tomatoes. I only have a very small garden so I'm not able to grow many outdoor tomatoes, and never enough to have a worthwhile amount of green ones at the end of the season. I have made Nigel Slater's mixed tomato chutney which is a great recipe for a small amount. I have to content myself with buying the large on the vine tomatoes from Lidl and making red tomato chutney, which is lovely. I use white wine vinegar normally, but will give cider vinegar a go this year.

Camilla7 Fri 03-Nov-23 12:25:39

25Avalon

I use a spoonful of green tomato chutney instead of mango chutney when I make a curry.

I’ve just made red tomato chutney using a recipe from Farmer’s Girl kitchen. It has to wait 6 weeks before you eat it but it tastes pretty good right now.

Good call, I love aubergine chutney (Brinjal Pickle) with curry and because of the figs in this Green Tomato Chutney it has that same vibe so can't wait to have it with our next curry:-)

Jaxjacky Fri 03-Nov-23 13:02:45

I had to buy some Camilla this year as all my tomatoes ripened bar a few, yours looks yum.

Oldbat1 Fri 03-Nov-23 13:45:18

We love green tomato chutney. Last year a local person made some to raise funds for local dog charity. Unfortunately she is not doing it this year and ive saved lots of jam jars in readiness!

Camilla7 Fri 03-Nov-23 13:50:07

Rosie51

I wish you could buy green tomatoes. I only have a very small garden so I'm not able to grow many outdoor tomatoes, and never enough to have a worthwhile amount of green ones at the end of the season. I have made Nigel Slater's mixed tomato chutney which is a great recipe for a small amount. I have to content myself with buying the large on the vine tomatoes from Lidl and making red tomato chutney, which is lovely. I use white wine vinegar normally, but will give cider vinegar a go this year.

I have 2 outdoor long troughs on patio where I plant out homegrown seedlings and usually self seeded tomatoes would appear the following year. We had such a dry spell that that didn't happen this year (until it was way too late) but later on they grew in the shingle against the house (behind the troughs). So I had a mixture of Marmande and miniature tomatoes when the rain came along and hence the late crop. I didn't plant anything this year due to having a new kitchen so was pleasantly surprised:-)