Green Tomato and Banana Chutney

When your tomato plants start to die off, don’t waste the remaining green fruit. Pull the plants from the ground and hang them under cover (garage or pergola) to allow mature fruit to ripen. Fruit that fail to colour can be used green to make this chutney.

Ingredients

1kg green tomatoes chopped/skin on
2 cups ripe banana mashed (about 4 large bananas)
1 large red onion finely chopped
1 cup sultanas
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ginger grated or candy ginger chopped (or 2 teaspoons ginger powder)
2 fresh garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried chilli (or equivalent fresh chillies to your taste)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried turmeric (or 1 tablespoon freshly grated)
1 teaspoon cinnamon freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying seeds and onions

Method

Place the chopped green tomatoes into a large saucepan or jam pan and place on a medium heat. Add a splash of water to stop the tomatoes sticking to the pan. Stir regularly. Cook until well broken down.

While the tomatoes are cooking, add a small amount of oil to a large frypan along with the brown mustard and fennel seeds. Cook off until fragrant, then add the dried chilli, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, turmeric, onion, garlic and ginger - add a little more oil if required to fry them off. Add the vinegar and sugar. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. If you prefer a smooth chutney, use a stick blender to puree this mix now.

Tip the contents of the frypan into the cooked tomatoes. Add the mashed bananas. Cook until hot, bubbling and well combined (20 – 30 minutes). Season with salt if required. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Store cooled jars in the refrigerator. The flavour becomes more complex with storage.

Note: I freeze excess home-grown bananas in two cup amounts for use in cakes, smoothies, chutney etc.

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