At this time of year, the tomato plants in my garden are usually past their best. We’ll have had a reasonable crop (this year quite a few pinkish cherry tomatoes and some small, cherry plumb tomatoes. Frustratingly, also this year, there are far more green fruits than ripened fruits, obviously a lack of ethylene the ripening hormone.
So, what’s a gardener to do? Well, green tomato chutney is always a good option, although this year is the first time I’ve had the inclination to make it for quite some time.
I adapted Nigel Slater’s neat, little recipe – onions, mustard, salt, soft brown sugar, chili, vinegar and, of course, green and a few ripened, lycopene rich tomatoes. Mixed together and boiled with stirring for a little bit over an hour.
Recycled jars and lids were washed thoroughly and sterilised (we don’t want botulism or moulds forming in the chutney after all) and then filled to the brim with what turned out to be quite a tasty green tomato chutney, even if I do say so myself. Seven full “pound” jars in the end; not bad for a couple of hours’ effort on that last Sunday afternoon in September.
Slater’s recipe is here. I must confess that I had only mustard powder and hot chili powder rather than a fresh red chilli. Also, I had to substitute malt vinegar with a big splash of balsamic (brought back from Italy a few years ago), rather than the white wine vinegar Slater favours. But, if you cannot adapt a recipe of his to the ingredients you have, then whose can you adapt?
So, if your tomato crop lacks lycopene because it hasn’t had adequate ethylene exposure, then green tomato chutney is the way to go.