Cherry Tomato Chutney
Edit
This recipe is a seasonal one for me. I grow cherry tomatoes. Or I should say they grow themselves because they self seed all over my back garden. So towards the end of the growing season I collect all the cherry tomatoes and make some of this chutney. Recently my family held a significant birthday event and we served the cherry tomato chutney with a glazed ham, different types of meatballs as well as a cheese platter. This time I made two batches of it and it was super popular. I love that this chutney is easy to make and adds so much wow to meat and cheese dishes.
I had a last flush of cherry tomatoes on my very large bushel this year. It seemed to go crazy at the end of the season so I was excited to make some delicious Cherry Tomato Chutney. I love chutneys and relishes and I enjoy making them when I have an excess of produce. It was so nice to be able to make some chutney from my home grown cherry tomatoes. These tomatoes were tiny little tomatoes and the bushel was about three metres wide. We enjoyed the fruit all summer.
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I love this chutney with a really mature, crumbly cheddar on some crusty bread. I mean I really love it. So that is why it doesn’t last long in my house. This chutney is also really lovely with cold meats or a piece of steak, sausages or even chicken. You will have so many uses for it that it probably won’t last long in your house either.
Cherry Tomato Chutney is easy to make with only a few ingredients. You will probably have most of them to hand. It gets it flavours not only from the tomatoes but also mustard powder, onion and if you like, a little chilli. And it really doesn’t take long to make when you consider the end result.
This recipe is completely scaleable so if you have more tomatoes than I have used simply increase your quantities, keeping them in the appropriate ratios. One important factor to note – you simply must steralise your jars properly. I do this in three steps – I wash the jars in hot soapy water, then I boil them for 10 minutes and then I dry them off in an oven heated to 150°C for 10 minutes. Some people only boil or heat in the oven after washing but I like to leave nothing to chance! Boiling them is useful if you have jars that use a rubber seal.
So enjoy making this Cherry Tomato Chutney and most of all enjoy eating it. It is one way you can get the most out of your tomato crop!
EDIT: We have had a few comments about cooking times and the chutney not thickening – my tips are:
- if your chutney is too liquidy(can be due to juicier tomatoes) keep it on the boil until it reduces and maybe even extend the cooking time if you need to. You will need to judge this as you go as each batch will be different.
- don’t expect the chutney to be perfectly set when you have finished cooking – it sets more when cooled.
- trust the process I describe. I regularly make this chutney for entertaining and catering and don’t have issues – you just need to be a little flexible.
Totally moreish, Cherry Tomato Chutney that will improve cheese or meat dishes.
Cherry Tomato Chutney
A beautiful preserve to serve with a mature cheese, cold meats, steak or sausages. The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 250 g brown onions sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes or to taste
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 ml white vinegar
- 250 ml water
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Wash the tomatoes and set aside. In a large saucepan cook the onions, garlic and chilli flakes in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the mustard powder. Stir in the tomatoes Then add the bay leaves, sugar, vinegar and water. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for about an hour or boil continuously for less time (say 40 minutes until reduced). When the ingredients have reduced and the chutney coats the back of a spoon it is ready. if the mixture is not reducing and thickening, increase the stove temperature for half an hour until it reduces. Spoon into hot steralised jars, seal. Place the jars in another saucepan with water coming half way up the sides and boil for 15 minutes. Store the jars in a cool, dry place for up to three months or for 10 days in the fridge after opening.
Recipe Notes
If your cherry tomatoes are on the large size, slice them in half before adding to the pan.
Could I use apple cider vinegar instead of the white vinegar? Thank you.
Absolutely! Apple cider vinegar would work just fine. Enjoy!
I scaled the recipe up to 3 kg of tomatoes. It smells great, but I am still boiling after 3 hours. I would suggest to back off on the water for larger quantities.
Thanks Mike, making chutneys and jams can be trial and error. I hope your chutney formed in the end.
Is it supposed to be 250ml of water and vinegar? This seems to be way too much and it’s a sauce, not a chutney
Hi James,
See what I wrote to John- it is not a jelly like chutney. It is more spoonable than that.
“Chutneys and jams can be difficult. I suggest that you need to up the temperature to a gentle boil for half and hour and then reduce to a simmer. You really need to judge the cooking time and temperature by the juiciness of the tomatoes and the time it is taking to reduce. I would not leave the vinegar out as the flavour of straight vinegar could be too overpowering. I made Cherry Tomato Chutney today and it worked with increasing the temp. It also won’t ‘set’ in the pot it only needs to coat the back of a spoon (when you run your finger through it it leaves a mark). It is not a jelly like consistency more spoonable than that. Good luck!
Cook fo 1 hour? I cooked mine for 3 hours and it still didn’t set. I don’t think it needs the water.
Hi John,
Chutneys and jams can be difficult. I suggest that you need to up the temperature to a gentle boil for half and hour and then reduce to a simmer. You really need to judge the cooking time and temperature by the juiciness of the tomatoes and the time it is taking to reduce. I would not leave the vinegar out as the flavour of straight vinegar could be too overpowering. I made Cherry Tomato Chutney today and it worked with increasing the temp. It also won’t ‘set’ in the pot it only needs to coat the back of a spoon (when you run your finger through it it leaves a mark). It is not a jelly like consistency more spoonable than that. Good luck!
How long do you need to leave it before you can eat it?
Hi Theresa,
You can enjoy it the chutney straight away but it does improve with time. Enjoy!
I made this fabulous cherry tomato chutney recipe last weekend with a glut of cherry tomatoes from my garden and it’s already been a big hit with my family, it’s fantastic with crackers and cheese
I too was wondering why it wasn’t thickening as much as I expected while cooking, but trusted the process and have ended up with a beautiful chutney that’s an absolute keeper
Hi Jo
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so pleased you enjoyed it. The recipe is one of my favourites.
How many serving does this exact recipe make??
Hi Mia, Thanks for your question. This makes just under two 500ml steralised jars. Each batch might be a bit different in quantity so have a few steralised jars of different sizes ready when you are pouring into them. As for servings – it makes many spoonfuls and doesn’t last long in my house! Happy cooking!
Well i have just bottled this chutney; and like many of you lovely folk above have found very runny. I have read all the comments and answers and will let you know in a month or so if it eventually set. It smelled wonderful. All the best everyone!
Hi Lucille and Iain,
Good timing! We were making this chutney at the same time! Mine reduced very quickly and I didn’t need to cook it for a full hour. My tomatoes were very firm though. If yours is runny I would cook it for longer as I mentioned above. It definitely isn’t a jelly like chutney though – different to what you might buy in the store. So if you are up for it I would put it back on the boil so it reduces to very little liquid – it almost sticks to the pan. Trust the process and enjoy the product!
Made this using red wine vinegar, cooked to recipe time perfectly. has a lovely flavour with a touch of heat. Recipe is a keeper.
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know that our Cherry Tomato Chutney recipe worked for you. I made it twice last week for a party and it went down a treat. So glad it worked for you and that you enjoyed the results!