Posted: Friday 21 September 2012
by Kate Bradbury
From my two outdoor-grown tomato plants, I’ve harvested just two ripe tomatoes. But, luckily, I found a recipe for green tomato relish.
I seem to have set some sort of record this year: from my two outdoor-grown tomato plants, I’ve harvested just two ripe tomatoes.
I blame the weather, obviously. The endless rain, cold conditions and lack of sunshine in late spring and early summer meant the plants didn’t produce any flowers until August. But by then it was all too late. Now it’s late September and there’s a definite nip in the air. No home-made, home-grown tomato sauces for me.
So, yesterday I took the plants down, salvaging large trusses of bulging green tomatoes, before putting the haulms on the compost.
I’m not a huge fan of green tomato chutney. Perhaps I’ve just not found the right recipe. And the trick of putting the fruit in a bag with a banana to aid ripening just depresses me – I can’t help but see that as a sign of a failed harvest. I wanted to celebrate my green tomatoes, to make use of them and enjoy them.
Luckily, I found a recipe for green tomato relish. Also known as chow chow, this pickled relish is a delicacy enjoyed in the American South, although it’s thought to come from Nova Scotia originally. Recipes can vary, but the main ingredient is green tomatoes. Joy.
The recipe is quite approximate. I had about four pounds of tomatoes, which I whizzed up in the food processor with two (bought) red peppers and an onion. I put this mixture in a pan with three tablespoons of mustard seeds and three of sugar, a handful of chopped chillies, half a tablespoon of salt and a glug of vinegar. I then simmered the mixture for two hours, stirring occasionally. The end result just about fitted into a large air-tight storage jar (about 750ml).
What a success! My relish is delicious and will be the perfect accompaniment to cheese and biscuits, and veggie sausages. It looks pretty, too – despite the ratio of tomatoes to peppers, the relish is a nice red-brown.
I no longer see my tomato harvest as a failure, though I do love home-made tomato sauce. But now I also love green tomato relish. Every cloud…
jo4eyes
21/09/2012 at 17:00
I'm banned from doing any green tomato chutney this year.
We're still working our way through 09,10 etc!
Somebody said about 'frying up' green tomatoes & since 1 of my plants- supposed to be a yellow cherry, but way too big for that now- has loads still definitely green, will be trying that.
The other 2 plants- Sungold & Gardeners Delight- are ripening well now in a part- shade greenhouse in Manchester, so no, well not much, sun this year!
I empty things out of greenhouse at the end of September & any unripe ones go onto trays on various window sills in the house. The majority do eventually ripen. J.
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