Although I was busy on the weekend with this, that and the other, I wanted to make tomato relish to go with the corned beef I'd just cooked for our week's cold cuts. I thought about it for a while and decided that if I took a couple of shortcuts, I could make a decent relish in about 30 minutes, or close to it, of actual work. I checked my stockpile cupboard to see if I had the makings, and yes, I did. Octonauts to the kitchen pod immediately!
It's difficult to streamline preserving recipes because they need the time for the jars to sterilise and on the stovetop simmering while developing flavours. I'm not a fan of microwaved jams and relishes, this is as close as I get to a fast preserving recipe. My stockpile ingredient that made it all possible were four large (440 gram) cans of diced Australian tomatoes. When I knew I had them on hand, I knew I could cook and bottle the relish in the time I had allowed myself. There would be no washing and peeling of tomatoes, no cutting, just take the lid off and pour. I prefer to make relish with fresh tomatoes but I'd rather have this home made relish than no relish, so I just got on with it. Often, close enough is good enough.
Above: the vegetable, spice and vinegar mix, cooking.
Below: and then four large cans of diced tomatoes were added.
I got my Maslin pan on the stove, cut up five smallish onions, a couple of cloves of garlic, one hot chilli, finely diced with half the seeds, the green head of a new bunch of celery, finely chopped, one finely chopped red capsicum, salt, pepper and two teaspoons of good quality curry powder. If you have no curry powder, use a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of turmeric. Add a dash of cooking oil and sauté the vegetables and spice for about five minutes, stirring frequently. You want everything toasted, not dark brown. Instead of using the vegetables I used, use what you have in the garden or fridge. Zucchini, eggplant, more peppers, whatever is on hand will do in a relish, but I do think relish must have onions. Overall though, this is a good recipe for using excess vegetables.
Add the four tins of tomatoes, stir thoroughly, add ¾cup of balsamic vinegar (or any good quality vinegar) and ¾ cup of sugar (brown or white). Stir everything together, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for about an hour. Stir the relish during the hour to make sure it's not burning.
The beauty of the maslin pan is that it allows ingredients to cook without burning, due to the thick base, and the wide top allows steam to easily escape. This assists in giving you a thick relish because much of the water in the tomatoes will evaporate off. If you don't have a maslin pan, use a large saucepan with the widest top you have.
Twenty minutes before the relish will be ready, place washed, wide-mouthed jars in the oven to sterilise. The lids need to be boiled for ten minutes. The jars should be sitting open side up. Set the oven to 150C/300F and allow to heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove the jars from the oven, being careful not to touch the inside.
So the payoff for 30minutes work and about $10 worth of ingredients: nine jars of homemade tomato relish that will serve us well in the months to come.
With the relish hot in the pan and the jars hot from the oven, use a canning funnel or jug to fill the jars. When the jars are full to the brim, use a tea towel to put on the lids and tighten. Turn all the jars upside down and leave them on the kitchen bench to cool overnight. If you sterilised the jars and lids properly and filled them with just boiled relish, the sugar and vinegar will help preserve them in the cupboard for about six months. I think the taste deteriorates after that. If you're not sure of your method, store the jars in the fridge. They'll keep very nicely for a few months.
I just checked the online Woolworths to see how much commercial relish goes for these days. It's anywhere between $3.71 and $7.51 for the Jamie Oliver jar. Pffffffft! So if I were to buy these nine jars it would have cost me somewhere between $33.39 and $67.51. Mine took 30 minutes to make and cost about $10 for all nine jars. And I can tell you this with no doubt, my friends, mine tastes much better than anything mass produced, and I don't care what name they put on it. :- )
Tomato relish is a tasty addition to sandwiches, especially those with meat or cheese. It's excellent as a sauce for BBQed meats, chicken and fish. It's delicious with scrambled eggs or an omelette. If you have no tomato sauce, use the relish as the base layer on your homemade pizzas. It's certainly worthwhile giving 30 minutes to this very versatile relish. Of course it can be eaten the next day but if you leave it to mature for a couple of weeks, the relish will benefit from your patience.
What are your relish, chutney and sauce shortcuts?
FAQs
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 do you peel tomatoes for relish? ›
Why would you peel tomatoes? The tomato skin is a different texture from the tomato flesh, and will remain so in sauces and purées—you'll get tiny chunks of skin instead of an uniformly smooth mixture. Moreover, the tomato skin is heavy in a kind of nutrient called flavonols, which impart a bitter flavor.
How long do you cook tomato relish? ›
Place drained tomatoes and onions in a large preserving pan with curry powder, mustard powder, chilli flakes, if using, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil about 15 minutes. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then continue to boil gently for another 1 hour 15 minutes.
How do you make tomato relish less sweet? ›
Add some acid to the sauce
Nutritionist Lisa Richards told the outlet that some fresh lemon juice or bottled vinegar should brighten up the sauce, and recommends gently heating the sauce, adding the juice or vinegar one teaspoon at a time, tasting, and adding more as needed.
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.
Which is better relish or chutney? ›
The Chutney offers a sweet yet savoury flavour and the Sweet Relish a tart, fresh and tangy one. The Coconut Chutney's Indian flavours go well with grilled meats or vegetables and the Sweet Pickle Relish is a play on our ballpark favourite.
How long will homemade relish last? ›
In my experience, homemade green tomato relish keeps for about 12 months in an air conditioned home. How long will this recipe keep in the freezer? Your homemade relish should be good in the freezer for 6 months if frozen properly (it will be safe to eat longer than that, but quality may suffer).
How do you thicken tomato relish? ›
To thicken the relish, add the cornflour to a little water and mix to a smooth paste. Add a little of the hot liquid from the relish mixture until the paste is the consistency of thin cream. Add the paste to the relish mixture and stir continuously for around 5 minutes until it thickens.
What goes well with tomato relish? ›
Use relish as a topping for anything you desire: hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, eggs, steak, chicken, sausage, etc.
How long does tomato relish last once opened? ›
According to the FoodKeeper app, relish should be eaten with 30 MONTHS of purchase if it's in the pantry. If it's opened and is being refrigerated, it should be used up within nine months.
Heat and time can help soften some of the acidity and tinny edge that tomatoes have straight from the can, developing a sweeter, rounder flavor.
How do you get the vinegar taste out of relish? ›
Sweetener: Adding a small amount of sweetener, such as sugar, honey, or maple syrup, can help counteract the acidity of the vinegar and mellow out the taste of the sauce.
How do you fix salty tomato relish? ›
Add an acid.
You can add lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to salty food to help neutralize the saltiness. A tomato product, such as tomato sauce or tomato paste, will also work since tomatoes are acidic.
Do you cook chutney with lid on or off? ›
It is essential that chutneys are allowed a long and slow cooking period in a pan that is not covered with a lid. This will allow your chutney to become rich and smooth.
What is the difference between chutney and relish taste? ›
Relishes, on the other hand, are cooked for a shorter time, with the resultant relish chunkier and more sharply flavoured than a chutney. Some people argue that a chutney will always contain mainly fruit or a mixture of fruits, and relishes are generally made of vegetables, and usually one variety.
Is chutney sweeter than relish? ›
Relish is a flavouring, usually sweet and sour, which consists of finely chopped vegetables or fruit, vinegar and sugar. Whereas chutney is more sweet and fruity, relish usually contains cucumber, courgette, tomato, rhubarb or onion, and the pieces of fruit or vegetables are somewhat coarser and crunchier.
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.
What is tomato chutney used for? ›
Tomato chutney can be used to accompany myriad foods and dishes, such as kebabs, sandwiches, burgers and meat dishes.
