In summer garden-fresh tomatoes are plentiful, throw the excess in the freezer so we can enjoy these recipes in winter as well.
Here's a tip with tomatoes; to easily skin/peel tomatoes cut a small cross on the opposite side of the stork bit and put into boiling water for 30 seconds then the skin will just rub off and put into cold water.
Spicy Chunky
Tomato Sauce
The kids love this tomato sauce it's chunky with a spicy kick, great on
nachos too!
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
50g butter
2 diced onions
4 crushed clove of garlic
6 Tbsp Tomato Puree
2kg Tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chilli paste
2 tsp freshly ground peppercorns
Heat oil and butter in large pot, add onions, garlic and tomato paste
and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
Add all other ingredients and simmer in a semi-covered pot for 45
minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the lid
and cook further 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick. Freeze or
bottle in sterilised jars makes 9 cups.
Tomato Puree
Chop 2kg tomatoes in half and put in a saucepan with 1 cup water and
2tsp salt and boil until pulpy about 30 minutes. Strain through a
sieve or
moulin, return to the saucepan and boil to thicken about 10-15
minutes, If non-acid tomatoes add 1/2 tsp citric acid put into small
preserving jars.
Tomato Relish
Ingredients
12 medium tomatoes
6 medium white onions
2 c brown vinegar
2 c sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp mustard
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
For thickening: 1 heaped Tbsp plain flour mixed to smooth paste with
cold water
Use food processor to pulp the tomatoes and onions and put in a large
preserving pan along with
all other ingredients. Simmer steadily with lid on for about 1 hour,
stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in flour paste to
thicken the relish. Put back onto the heat and bring back up to the boil
to cook the flour. This will only take 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and
pour into sterilised jars
or bottles and cap when cool. Great with
Lamb and Onion
Fritters.
Tomato Chutney
Spicy and sweet, this
delicious chutney goes well with breads, cheeses and chicken. This makes
a large batch - great for sharing with neighbours and friends at
Christmas!
1kg apples - peeled, cored and sliced
450ml water
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1kg tomatoes, sliced
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
85g sultanas
140g caster sugar
2 1/2 dessertspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dessertspoons salt
560ml malt vinegar
Place apples and water in a
preserving pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook 25 minutes, or until apples are
tender, stirring occasionally. Add more water as necessary to keep the
apples simmering. Wrap mustard seed in muslin , and place with apples.
Mix tomatoes, onions, garlic, sultanas, sugar, curry powder, cayenne
pepper, salt and vinegar in with the apples. Stir until sugar has
dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours,
stirring occasionally, until a thick chutney remains. Remove and discard
wrapped mustard seed. Seal chutney in sterile
jars until serving.
Great for
Cheese and Chutney Muffins.
Green
Tomato Chutney
Ingredients
5 medium green tomatoes
2 small cooking apples
4–5 medium onions, peeled
2 1/2 cups malt vinegar
1 1/2 cups sultanas
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Halve the tomatoes (or, if using 4 larger tomatoes, cut them in
quarters). Peel, core and slice the apples and chop the onions. Put all
the vegetables in a large saucepan or
preserving pan with the
vinegar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook on low heat for
15 minutes. Stir in the sultanas, brown sugar, ground ginger, salt and
cayenne pepper and continue to simmer for a further 1 1/2–2 hours, or
until the mixture is thick and leaves a clear trail when a wooden spoon
is drawn slowly across the bottom of the pan. Spoon the chutney into
clean, warm, dry jars
and cover them immediately with lids. When the chutney is cold,
label the jars
and store them in a cool, dry, airy cupboard for two to three months to
allow the flavours of the chutney to mature and mellow before using.
Great for
Cheese and Chutney Muffins.
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
2 Tbsp whole cloves
3.6 kg ripe, juicy tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 kg sugar
2 tbsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups malt vinegar
Tie the whole cloves in a small piece of muslin.
Into a large
preserving pan
put the cloves,
tomatoes, onion, garlic,
sugar, salt, cayenne and
vinegar and stir well to mix. Bring slowly to
the boil,
stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves and then
bring to
the boil.
Boil rapidly for about 1½ -2 hours, stirring
occasionally until the
mixture is thick and pulpy.
Remove from the heat, remove any scum that has
formed on top and allow
the sauce to cool for about
20 minutes.
Put the sauce through a
Moulin or sieve to remove
pips and
skins, or puree in a
blender.
Return to a clean
preserving pan
and bring back to the boil.
If the sauce is thin, boil, stirring regularly until it is the thickness
you prefer.
Bottle the hot smooth sauce into hot, dry, sterilized
jars or bottles
and seal when cold. Add a jar
label
and jar hat.
