This chutney was my contribution to the 2016 International Can It Forward Day from Ball Canning. This recipe works with small tomatoes, larger slicers, and meaty paste tomatoes. It’s a great recipe to have in your resource file towards the end of the season, when you just need a handy way to deal with an abundant harvest!
Spicy Heirloom Tomato Chutney
Ingredients
- 4 pounds small heirloom tomatoes chopped
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups golden raisins
- 12 ounces shallots diced (about 2 cups)
- 2 ounces ginger grated (scant 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath and five pint jars.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large, wide, non-reactive pot, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium high and cook, stirring regularly, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the chutney is glossy and thick.
- Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the chutney into the prepared jars. Wipe the rim, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals.
- Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
I’m making my second batch of this using my heirloom cherry tomatoes. It is so amazing, we love it!
I’m so happy to hear that you like it!
Would it be ok to substitue a mixture of chopped dried apricots and chopped dried prunes for the golden raisins in this recipe?
Yes!
From a canning safety perspective, is it safe to use tomatillos instead of tomatoes?
That should be okay.
I made this yesterday. Delicious stuff!! I had lots of heirloom tomatoes from my garden so I doubled the recipe. It took 2.5 hours to reduce and it’s a beautiful red color. Lots of work but worth it. Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it!
Could I substitute onions for the shallots?
Yes.
How much head space should I leave? 1/2”?
This looks wonderful, and not overly sweet, which is my problem with most chutneys. One question – you don’t mention removing the skins from the tomatoes. Am I reading that correctly- that they’re used skin-on?
I leave the skins on the tomatoes for this preserve. I will always tell you in a recipe if I want you to peel the fruit.
Can I substitute mustard seed for the black mustard seed?
Yes.
Marisa, do you think I could cut the sugar in this to, say, 1C….or would that affect the final product too much. How about 1 1/3 C. Thanks, as always.
Any time you reduce the sugar, you impact the finished texture, the yield, and the keeping power of the preserve. However, reducing the sugar isn’t a safety issue. So, you can always reduce the sugar, provided you’re okay with a softer set, a lesser yield, and a shorter shelf life.
Thanks, Marisa. One more question: what could be a good substitute for coroander seeds…or do you recommend I go out and find some :-).
What about reducing the vinegar, is that a safety issue?
Reducing the vinegar would be a safety issue. I would not advise it.
I made it and it’s delicious!
Thanks sounds great! Do you think this would work with tomatillo?
I have no idea how it would work with tomatillos. You could try it, but I can’t predict the results.
Thanks!
This chutney sounds wonderful.