Tomato Chutney - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

How to make tomato chutney thicker? ›

Well, the simplest thing to do is let it boil in high heat stirring it continuously. The excess water will evaporate making the chutney thicker, switch off the heat immediately to get the desired thickness and remove it in a cold bowl.

Balance Out the Flavors

If your dish is a little too sweet, try rounding out the sweetness by adding flavors or ingredients that are sour, bitter, or spicy. It may be obvious not to add more sweet ingredients, but you should also stay away from salty ones since they actually bring out the sweetness in food.

Peel and cut a potato or carrot, cut them into 4 parts, cook them together with the tomato puree and remove them only when cooked. Your tomato puree will be considerably less sour.

The first recipe helps you make spicy and hot tomato chutney with pantry staples like tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chilies, oil and salt. You can also store this in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. The second chutney is the Onion Tomato Chutney which is also delicious, nutty, and spicy and flavorsome.

The chutney is done when you can scrape a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney does not flow back into the gap. Meanwhile, to clean the jam jars, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Wash the jars well in warm soapy water then rinse thoroughly under running water.

The sugar and vinegar are essential, too, for that quintessential sharp-sweet flavour and to preserve the chutney. If the jars have been sterilised correctly (watch our video for a failsafe method), the chutney will keep in a cool dark space for more than a year.

Our answer. When you make chutney its consistency is determined by the evaporation of liquid as the chutney cooks. So if possible you should use a wide pan as this has a larger surface area which means that liquid will evaporate more quickly and should help to prevent the fruit in the chutney from becoming too soft.

Heat 1 cup of sauce with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (baking soda neutralizes acidity). Taste the sauce and add tiny amounts of baking soda to see if it mellows the acidity. If there is still an edge, swirl in a teaspoon of butter, letting it melt until creamy. Usually this does the job.

Tips to Remove a Bitter Taste

Mix in a little bit of sugar to hide the bitterness. Add a pinch of salt to a bitter dish. Sprinkle in a pinch of baking soda. Add acidic flavors to the dish, like lemon juice or vinegar.

Chutneys get better when left for a few weeks. They mature. So try not to eat them all at once.

What do I do if my chutney is too vinegary? ›

Generally the vinegar in the chutney will mellow over time and we suggest that you allow 2 months for the sealed jars of chutney to "mature" in a cool, dry place. As it is only 2 weeks, the chutney will still be on the sharp side but this should soften by Christmas or early January.

6. Allow to Mature. Chutneys are best eaten after a long maturing period so we recommend storing them in a cool, dry dark place and leaving them for no less than 8 weeks before opening them.

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.

Warm jams and chutneys should always be put into warm jars as if the glass is cold the sudden change in heat could cause them to crack.

The best way to indicate that chutney has been spoiled is to smell and look at the chutney. If the chutney gives off an off odour or appearance, or if mould starts to appear. These, like many foods, are clear indications of spoiled chutney. They should be discarded right away.

Make a starch slurry: A starch slurry is a quick fix for all thin sauces. Simply combine one part cornstarch with two parts cold water.

Bring to boil and let the relish boil with the lid off for up to an hour (until thick). You can thicken the relish with 3 tablespoons of cornflour and a little vinegar if needed. After simmering and thickening, pour the relish into hot sterilized jars and seal.

First, corn starch or arrowroot are thickeners that thicken without losing volume (or concentrating) your relish.