Cold breezes herald the end of the tomato season. Green and red ones still swing from semi dry branches. I don't want to freeze the last batch. Instead the need to make chutney arises.
Washed and chopped, tomatoes go into a deep stainless steel saucepan. Garlic paste, sugar, chile powder, red wine vinegar and sliced ginger are randomly scattered over the tomatoes. The saucepan is placed over high heat allowing the sugar to melt, the spices to blend and bubble. The chutney cooks over a medium flame for an hour. The flame is further lowered, letting the chutney thicken slowly. A fast boil will scorch the bottom of the pot, a lesson I've learnt repeatedly. So its slow and low! Remember, chutneys cannot be hastened along. A couple of hours will result in a dark red sauce, the tomatoes changing from vibrant red to a deep maroon, thickening to a jammy consistency. Slather some on a roast beef sandwich, spoon it over goat cheese on crostini or take dollops with our favorite chicken chops.
TOMATO CHUTNEY
Makes about 3 cups
2 1/2 pounds Tomatoes
3/4 cup Sugar
3 heaped tablespoons Chile powder
3 tablespoons Garlic paste
2 inch piece Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Chop tomatoes into medium chunks. Put them into a large stainless steel pan with deep sides.
Add sugar, chile powder, garlic paste, ginger slices, vinegar and salt. Stir to mix.
Place saucepan over high heat till sugar has melted and tomatoes are bubbling vigorously.
Lower heat to medium and cook for 1 hour stirring every 10-15 minutes. This is essential or else the tomatoes will catch or scorch at the bottom of the pan. Stirring often prevents this from happening.
Once the sauce starts changing color lower the flame further and cook the chutney till it turns dark red. The chutney should have a thick pouring consistency, quite like a preserve or jam.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Spoon chutney into a glass container or jar. Cool completely, close the lid and refrigerate.
The chutney lasts for up to year refrigerated.
Making this chutney is a yearly venture. One bottle gives us enough pleasure with many meals, an old recipe, living in today's world.
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