How to Make Capsicum and Tomato Chutney

There is nothing quite as delicious as home-made chutney. I simply cannot find anything as good in the supermarkets! Free from artificial preservatives and full of flavour, this happens to be one of my favourite things and it is actually not that difficult to make. All you really need are a few simple ingredients and some patience in the kitchen!

With a busy start to the year already I was looking forward to a quiet weekend at home and chance to get back in the kitchen. Spending a day every now and then cooking is a bit like therapy. You get to create something amazing from scratch which provides a great sense of accomplishment.

To make this chutney you will need to know how to do two more things. Firstly, the recipe requires peeled tomatoes. The easiest way I find to do this is by cutting an X on the top of the tomato and dropping it into a pot of boiling water for about 60 seconds and transferring directly into cold water. The skin will be easy to peel away and your tomatoes are then ready for chopping.

The second thing is sterilising jars. I like to recycle my old condiment jars, so first I wash them in warm soapy water and remove the label. Next rinse and place the jars and lids in a large saucepan and fill with water. Once the water is boiling you can remove the jars and lids (carefully) with metal tongs and place them, upside down on a baking tray. Place in 110C oven and heat for 10-15 minutes.

From my experience this chutney gets better over time as it matures (about 3-6 months); however it is still delicious straight away. I love a generous amount on home-made beef burgers!

Once sealed, your chutney will keep for a long time and really just keep getting better. This batch makes about 4 smallish jars (think the size that mustards and curry paste come in). If you feel you probably don’t need that much chutney it is always a great gift for friends and family. I am positive they would love to receive something home-made and delicious!

If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to let me know in the comment section below.

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Capsicum & Tomato Chutney

Author: Sally

What You'll Need

• 3 large seeded red capsicum
• 500 grams peeled tomatoes
• 2 large onions
• 2 medium red chillies*
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• ½ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric

What To Do

1. Dice vegetables finely and place into a bowl.
2. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for approx. 2 hours.
3. In a large saucepan combine vinegar, sugar and mustard seeds.
4. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves then bring to the boil.
5. Add vegetables.
6. Boil gently until vegetables become very soft.
7. In a separate bowl, combine flour, water and spices to make a paste.
8. Add to boiling chutney and stir.
9. Reduce heat and simmer until chutney is a nice thick consistency. Make sure to stir regularly to avoid it sticking to the bottom.
10. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Notes

*this is not a spicy chutney but if you are not a fan of chilli, go ahead and leave them out.