Need to use up green tomatoes? Look no further. Abigail’s recipe makes a tasty, 6-jar, preserve of them that will be ready after 1 month and can last anything from 3 months to a whole year!
Ingredients
1644 kg Green tomatoes
100 ml Distilled Vinegar
2 tbspns fine salt
4 small red onions; these can be replaced with spring green tops ; or one large brown about 200 g in total.
Olive or Sunflower oil
30 ml for each jar and 30 ml for
The frying pan
6 pepper corns per jar , fennel 1tsp if liked. Smoked Paprika can also be used .
1 rosemary sprig
1 Bayleaf
Equipment
Frying pan
Silicone spatula
1 jug
6 x 300ml mason jars with preserving lids
One pan big enough to hold the jars when full of hot water
Or may need to be done in a batch
A pair of jar callipers
Suitable heat retardant cloths
A tray on which to place jars once sterilised
Method
1 Wash and cut tomatoes in quarters put into a colander and sprinkle 2 tbspns fine salt over them leave to drain for a couple of hours.
2 Put sufficient water onto boil for jar sterilisation or the jars can be placed in the microwave with a little water in each for 1 minute. Just before needed, tip water out. (Don’t burn yourself with the steam!)
3 Put frying pan or larger preserves pan onto a medium heat with oil.
4 Peel external skin from onion, cut in 1cm diced cubes and carefully add to the heated oil.
5 Add tomatoes to onions and stir gently so they do not break up, but not too often, just enough that they soften a little. Approximately 2 minutes dependant on size of pan used.
6 Heat vinegar. Plus an added 2/3rds water may be needed for each jar.
7 Have the warmed jars ready to fill with the tomato mix. Pepper corns and rosemary should already be in the jar. (This can be pushed down the side of the jar when it is full if you have rosemary branches from your garden) and add the bayleaf in the bottom.
Using the jug pour the tomato mix till the jar is full, pressing down gently with a silicone or rounded blade to reach the bottom of jar to remove excess air.
8 Top with the vinegar about 6 ml per jar and olive oil on top. (Plus extra water if needed to fill to top.)
9 Place warmed lids on top and screw tight, turn upside down and leave that way till cold.
Note: CRITICAL CONTROL POINT – Food to be temperature controlled at end of cooking period if hot to be above 75c
Keeping
Leave to mature and eat after 1 month or so after making. Dependant on storage this can last from 3 months to a year.
Once opened – date and label, store in a fridge & ensure the tomatoes in the jar are covered by liquid at all times. It should keep for one week but may keep longer by following these guidelines.
Recipe adapted by Abigail of Curiosity Bites, 2021
