Well I suspect that the weather is not going to ripen all my tomatoes….and that might well apply to lots of other people I think, so time to find Margaret Costa’s recipe book. Great book full of fab recipes and so if you can get hold of a copy I can recommend it. My old one is so well thumbed its just about collapsing so its great that I was bought a fresh copy a couple of years ago. When I got the new one I discovered that I wasn’t the only fan. I was in great company, so much so that the blessed Dehlia has written the foreward.
Probably shouldn’t repeat her recipe here but I use it all the time when the season ends and I was asked for it so here goes:
2lbs/900g cooking apples
Half a pound/225g onions
1oz/25g garlic
1lb/450g sultanas
4lbs/1.8kg green tomatoes
2oz/50g bruised root ginger
2oz/55g crushed mustard seeds
half an oz/15g shredded chillies
2lb/900g demerera sugar
4oz/115g salt
l.5 pts/850 ml malt vinegar
Put the peeled and quartered apples through a mincer (or grate or use a foodprocessor) with the onions, garlic and sultanas. Peel the tomatoes and chop roughly. Tie the spices in a piece of muslin.
Put everything into a large heavy pan and cook gently for 3-4 hrs till soft, thick and well blended (stir frequently especially towards the end when chutney can burn). There should be no ‘free liquid’ left but do remember that the mixture will thicken a lot when cool so don’t overcook. Its ready when a spoon drawn through the mixgture cuts a clean channel with no vinegar left in it.
Remove the spices. Pot in clean hot jars while still warm, cover with greaseproof paper and a plastic disc or a screw top.
So there you are. Enjoy. Last year at about this time I made a whole load of stuff….chilli jam, crab apple jelly flavoured with all sorts of things like rosemary and ginger, and pots and pots of damson jam. Stored them all and put them into Christmas hampers for friends with lots of other home made goodies I made nearer the time.
They went down really well – and probably the best of the lot was the home made advocaat…loved that myself!
Readyplanted 