Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (2024)

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How to make green tomato chutney with your unripened fruits. You’ll need about two pounds of green tomatoes, onions, and a few other ingredients. It’s a recipe that cooks down to a rich dark chutney that can be used as a marinade or served with cheese, rice dishes, bread, and other pickled vegetables. A full video showing how to make this recipe is included.

Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (1)

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If you grow your own tomatoes, you know what it’s like to have a mountain of green fruit at the end of summer. This year, I’m looking at an entire greenhouse full of several different varieties. I’ll take some indoors to ripen, but honestly, they’re delicious if you feel adventurous enough to cook with them. I’ve tried fried green tomatoes, green tomato pasta sauce, and green tomato ketchup before. One of the best recipes, though, is green tomato chutney.

If I were to describe the flavor, it would be sweet and sour, yet rich with a touch of heat. It pairs well with cheese, bread, and cured meats and is pretty much a British allotment preserve staple. When life gives you green tomatoes, you make green tomato chutney!

Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (2)

Making Green Tomato Chutney

Green tomato chutney is one of the simplest and quickest preserves you can make. You literally chop the ingredients up, put them in a pot, and cook them together for an hour (or three!). It’s also a great way to use up green tomatoes at the end of the season. To make it, you can use small tomatoes and large, and it doesn’t matter if you mix and match tomato varieties. Just below is a video showing how to make green tomato chutney in case you have any questions about the cooking instructions.

Unlike other recipes, mine doesn’t use apples — it’s all about chunky pieces of onion and tomato. I also don’t bother with reducing the water content before cooking, but you could if you wish to reduce the cooking time. However, I think that leaving the tomato moisture in and slowly cooking it down gives a much better taste. The umami really comes through if you have the patience to make it that way. If you do want to speed up the cooking time, you can remove the moisture, though. It entails using salt to draw moisture out, just like I do in my green tomato relish recipe.

This recipe is versatile, too. This year, I made it with distilled white vinegar and a mix of white and brown sugars, and it ended up just as delicious as ever. I’d advise caution in using any old vinegar, though, since any that is above 5-6% acetic acid can leave you with a green tomato chutney that is far too vinegary. If you can, use malt vinegar to make this recipe.

Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (3)

More Green Tomato Recipes and Preserving Inspiration

If you enjoyed this green tomato chutney recipe (and you will!), check out some of my other autumn recipes. They include another green tomato recipe (that even explains how healthy green tomatoes can be) and other delicious food in jars to make now and enjoy later. Have fun cooking and canning!

  • Sweet green tomato relish recipe
  • How to make Country Wine (using berries, fruit, and vegetables)
  • 3-ingredient blackberry gin recipe
  • Elderberry jelly recipe
  • Butternut squash pie recipe
Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (4)

Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (5)

Green Tomato Chutney Recipe

Tanya Anderson

Easy green tomato chutney recipe with green tomatoes, red onions, malt vinegar (5% acetic acid), and spices. This is a delicious condiment that pairs well with cheese and bread and cured meats. You can make it in an hour and the jars last up to a year.

4.96 from 83 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Preserves

Cuisine British

Servings 5 Jars

Calories 35 kcal

Equipment

  • Stainless steel pan

  • Clean and sterilized jars

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg Green Tomatoes (2.2 lbs or about 6 cups / skinning is optional)
  • 1 Kg Red Onions (2.2 lbs or about 6 cups)
  • 150 g Raisins (5.2 oz or about 1 cup – you can use ordinary raisins or golden raisins)
  • 3 Garlic cloves
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 tsp Sea salt
  • 500 g Brown sugar (2.5 cups – your choice of dark or light brown sugar)
  • 1 Litre Malt Vinegar (32 fl oz or about 4.25 cups – vinegar with 5% acetic acid concentration)

Instructions

  • Prepare the vegetables. Chop the tomatoes, onions, and raisins roughly and mince the garlic.

    Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (6)

  • Place all ingredients into a stainless steel pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a vigorous simmer and leave uncovered. Depending on batch size and your appliance's heat, it can take one to three hours. Keep an eye on it and stir regularly.

    Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (7)

  • The chutney is ready when it's reduced down and appears thick and brown.

    Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (8)

  • Spoon the chutney into warm, sterilized jars and seal with lids. It's common in the UK to reuse supermarket jars for homemade chutney and to simply finish with this step. If you do this, ensure that the lid of the jar doesn't have any exposed metal since the vinegar in the recipe can react with it. The vinegar can corrode the metal turning it black and potentially affecting your chutney. It's better to use preserving jars with non-metal lids. Either plastic-coated on the inside or two-piece Tattler lids. It's also best practice to water-bath the jars after they're filled*.

    Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (9)

  • Water-bath the jars to ensure that they're fully sterilized. Fill a tall pan with water and place a rack at the bottom if you have one**. Bring to a boil, then lower your (still hot) jars in so that they're not touching and that there's at least an inch of water above. Bring back to a rolling boil and leave the jars in the boiling water for ten minutes. Lift them out vertically (not tilted) with a jar lifter and set them on the counter to cool. The lids will seal as the chutney cools.It may take twelve or more hours for the seal to take.

  • Label the jars when cool and store them in a dark cupboard. Once opened, keep the jar in the refrigerator and try to use it within a year.

    Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (10)

Video

Notes

  • In Britain, it’s not common for people to water-bath high-acid preserves like this green tomato chutney. It’s a safer practice since it kills any microbes that could affect high-acid preserves. It can help the lids to seal. You can read more on the history of current British preservation methods here.
  • ** If you don’t have a rack, you can also push a tea towel or potholder to the bottom of the pan and set your jars on it. The idea is that you protect the bottoms of your jars from the direct heat of the hob/pan.
  • This recipe can take a long time to cook down, but the time is worth it. You can reduce the amount of time by simmering at a faster simmer. Remember to stir regularly to avoid the chutney burning at the bottom of the pot.
  • If you want to add other spices that you and your family love, feel free! It won’t taste like the original recipe, but you could invent a family favorite. Common spices in chutney include cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, coriander, curry leaves, allspice, tamarind, green chilies, and cinnamon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1TbspCalories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 9gFat: 0.1gFiber: 2g

Keyword chutney, green tomatoes, tomatoes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Easy Green Tomato Chutney recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is green tomato chutney made from unripe tomatoes? ›

Make use of end-of-season tomatoes with this sweet and vinegary green tomato chutney made with unripe tomatoes. Can it to enjoy all year long.

Which vinegar is best for chutney? ›

Vinegar used in making chutney must be good quality and have at least 5% acetic acid content. Any good brand white, malt, wine or cider vinegar should possess the correct qualities. Brown sugar is used for darker coloured chutney but where a lighter colour is required granulated sugar is recommended.

What's the difference between chutney and relish? ›

Chutney vs Relish

Both condiments are made with chopped vegetables, vinegar, and added spices. Typically, chutney has a softer consistency and contains a variety of fruit pieces. Relish usually contains one type of vegetable and no fruit.

Why does my green chutney turn brown? ›

The chutney may oxidize (turn brown), but it won't affect the flavor. As long as there is no mold, it is still safe to consume. Freezer: Transfer leftover chutney to a freezer-safe container and it will last up to 6 months in the freezer. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays for single-serve portions.

Are green unripe tomatoes safe to eat? ›

There is a higher presence of this Solanina toxin in green tomatoes than in ripe red tomatoes, making it harder to digest for humans. Therefore it is recommended to cook them in order to sweeten the taste, de-neutralizing the Solanina that causes the bitterness in raw green tomatoes. How can you cook green tomatoes?

How do you take the bitterness out of green chutney? ›

Coriander Leaves: Coriander balance the bitterness of mint leaves. Do not throw away coriander stalks as they add a lot of flavor to the chutney. Green Chilli: It adds spiciness.

Why does my chutney tastes vinegary? ›

So it is worth tasting the chutney before you transfer it to jars, to make sure that the mixture is not too acidic. Generally the vinegar in the chutney will mellow over time and we suggest that you allow 2 months for the sealed jars of chutney to "mature" in a cool, dry place.

What can I use instead of apple cider vinegar in chutney? ›

Apple cider vinegar substitute: Your best apple cider vinegar 1:1 substitutes are rice wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or white wine vinegar. If you only have red wine vinegar, use about 1 tsp. extra per tablespoon used since it's a bit lighter.

What is chutney called in America? ›

Relish. Chutney and relish are two popular condiments, and the names are often interchanged. The confusion is understandable because chutneys can be savory, and relishes can be sweet. In general, chutneys have a chunky spreadable consistency much like a preserve and are usually made with fruit.

How do I make my chutney thicker? ›

Some popular thickening agents for chutney include:
  1. Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a common thickening agent that is widely available and easy to use. ...
  2. Flour: Flour can also be used to thicken sweet chutney.
Dec 20, 2021

What is chutney called in English? ›

noun. , plural chut·neys. a sauce or relish of East Indian origin, often compounded of both sweet and sour ingredients, as fruits and herbs, with spices and other seasoning.

How do you remove solanine from green tomatoes? ›

By comparison, frying is a better way to reduce solanine than pickling so that we can eat (and love) fried green tomatoes. Solanine is not soluble in water, so boiling in water isn't very efficient at removing it, but it appears to be soluble in hot alcohol.

Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes? ›

The acidic green tomatoes mellow out when cooked and the firm to the point of being crunchy texture softens but doesn't turn to mush. Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes? Yes, green tomatoes are just regular tomatoes that have not yet matured on the vine.

Can I freeze green tomatoes? ›

Preparation – Select firm, sound green tomatoes. Wash, core, and slice 1/4-inch thick. For Frying – Pack the slices into containers with freezer wrap between the slices.

What is tomato chutney made of? ›

The tomatoes can be diced, mashed or pulped, and additional typical ingredients used include ginger, chilli, sugar, salt, aam papad, raisin, dates and spices and additionally onion, garlic and peanut or dal for the south Indian version. It can be prepared using ripe red tomatoes or green tomatoes.

Are unripe tomatoes the same as tomatillos? ›

Green tomatoes are commonly used to make dishes like Fried Green Tomatoes. Green tomatoes and tomatillos are different in ripeness and usages as well, so it's not always okay to substitute one for the other. Tomatillos also tend to be juicier and not as firm as green tomatoes, so they are quite different in texture.

What kind of tomatoes are fried green tomatoes made from? ›

green tomatoes—Beefsteak, celebrity, or early girl tomato varieties work best for frying. all-purpose flour. buttermilk—some people use an egg mixture for dredging their tomatoes, but I prefer the rich and tender flavor of buttermilk (and its thick coating, which helps the breadcrumb mixture adhere better).

Can you get ripe green tomatoes? ›

You can have success with fully green tomatoes but they will take longer and may not be so flavoursome. At lower temperatures 10-15°C (50-60°F) ripening typically takes 3-4 weeks whereas at 18-21°C (65-70°F) they can take just 2 weeks.

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