Surprisingly Simple Solution For Your Unripe Tomatoes: Green Tomato Chutney

November 29, 2024 Master Canner

If you’ve ever grown tomatoes, you know the frustration of that chilly fall breeze arriving just before your tomatoes ripen. There they are, hanging on the vine—green, stubborn, and refusing to cooperate. It’s tempting to pack them up and bring them inside, hoping they’ll ripen in a warm spot. Please don’t! Instead, embrace them for what they are—green tomatoes. And to help you do just that, we’ve got the perfect recipe to make your unripe tomatoes shine: Green Tomato Chutney.

You might be thinking—chutney made with green tomatoes? That sounds odd! But trust us, this tangy and sweet condiment will quickly become your new favorite. It’s great with meats, fish, and even veggies—whether you roast, fry, or grill them.

Why Make Chutney With Green Tomatoes?

Green tomatoes have a firm texture and a tart flavor, making them ideal for chutneys. When cooked down with bell peppers, onions, garlic, and spices, they transform into a richly flavored condiment that truly stands out. Besides, the ingredients for this chutney are simple. Most likely you already have them all in your pantry or garden:

Green tomatoes: The main ingredient! Their tangy flavor is the base of the chutney.
Bell peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic: Add sweetness, texture, and depth.
Vinegar and sugar: These create the balance of tangy and sweet – exactly why we love chutneys
Spices: A mix of marjoram, oregano, savory, and black pepper adds a delicious, aromatic kick.

Green Tomato Chutney is more than just a green tomato recipe—it’s a way to savor the last bits of your garden and reduce waste. Plus, it’s so good that you might start hoping for unripe tomatoes every year!

Green Tomato Chutney vs. Green Tomato Relish

While green tomato chutney and green tomato relish are both made with unripe tomatoes, they differ both in flavor and texture. This is how the two are different:

Flavor

Green Tomato Chutney has a rich, sweet, and tangy flavor. It’s spiced with ingredients like ginger, garlic, and sometimes chili peppers. The sugar adds sweetness, while vinegar gives it a tangy kick. Chutney is perfect with meats, cheese, or sandwiches.
Green Tomato Relish is milder and focuses more on the tomatoes, peppers, and onions. It’s sweet and sour but with fewer spices. Relish is usually served as a topping for burgers, hot dogs, or grilled meats.

Texture

Chutney is thick, almost jam-like, with chunks of tomatoes and other vegetables. It’s cooked down for a long period of time to create a smooth yet slightly chunky texture.
Relish gets cooked for a very short period of time. Additionally, it has a lighter, crunchier texture, with finely chopped vegetables and more liquid.

Green Tomato Chutney Preparation steps:

ingredients for this green tomatoes recipe

mince vegetables using a meat grinder — ingredients for this green tomatoes recipe

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Green Tomato Chutney Recipe

Stuck with unripe tomatoes? Don’t toss them—transform them into jars of delicious green tomato chutney instead. Made with green tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, garlic, onions, and a mix of savory spices, this chutney is tangy, sweet, and full of flavor. It’s great on sandwiches, burgers, or as a homemade gift. Don’t let your green tomatoes go to waste – start preserving today!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 40

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Ingredients

3 lb. 1.4 kg green tomatoes
2 lb. 900 g bell peppers, any color
1/2 lb. 226 g. carrots
1 lb. 0.5 kg sweet or bell pepper
¼ lb. 120 g. garlic
¾ lb. 340 g. yellow onions
4/5 cup 200 ml. sunflower oil
2 tbsp. salt
¾ cup 150g. sugar
½ cup 120 g. white vinegar
1 -3 spicy peppers optional
½ tsp. dry marjoram
½ tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. dry savory
1 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

Start by washing the vegetables
Peel the carrots, onions, and garlic. Core the bell peppers and green tomatoes, removing blemishes as you go.
Cut the vegetables into chunks that fit easily into your meat grinder or food processor.

Step 2: Mince the Ingredients

Grind the garlic and spicy peppers first. If you’re using spicy peppers, mince them with the garlic and set aside
Run the green tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and onions through the meat grinder or food processor.
Pour the minced veggie mix into a large, heavy-bottomed, wide pot—but leave out the garlic for now. We’ll use it later.
Add dry herbs, black pepper and measured out sunflower oil to a pot with veggies. Then, mix to combine together.

Step 3: Cook the Green Tomato Chutney Mixture

Place the pot with minced vegetables over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and let the vegetables simmer for 1 hour. Stir every 20 minutes to prevent sticking.
After 1 hour, stir in the salt, sugar, and minced garlic. Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the vinegar, cook for 5 more minutes, and turn off the heat.

Step 4: Can the Green Tomato Chutney

Carefully ladle hot green tomato chutney into clean, sterilized canning jars.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner or steam canner following the times listed in the canning table.
Let the jars cool completely before storing them in your pantry.

Learn how to prepare mason jars and lids for canning

Notes

Processing time guidelines for hot water bath or atmospheric steam canners

Style of Pack: Hot

	Process Time at Elevations of:
Jar Size	0 – 1,000 ft	1,001 – 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Pints (16 oz, ~500ml)	15 min	20 min	25 min

Preserve Type Appetizer | Condiment | Savory Spread

Keyword canned green tomato chutney | green tomato chutney | green tomato pickle relish | Green tomato relish

Canning tools we use: If you are in the market for a reliable atmospheric steam canner, consider VKP brands made canners.

Want to learn more? Read our steam canners review.

We can’t wait to learn how this preserve recipe worked out for you. Leave us a comment below, like us on X, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. And remember, sharing is caring!

Frequently asked questions

Can I Make This Green Tomato Chutney Spicy?

Absolutely! If you want your chutney from green tomatoes to be spicy, add up to three spicy peppers to this recipe. Feel free to choose any kind of spicy pepper that suits your taste. Your selection won’t impact the preparation or the time required to make this preserve.

Can I Freeze The Chutney Instead Of Canning It?

Green tomato chutney freezes beautifully. Just make sure to store it in airtight containers specifically designed for freezing preserves.

How To Use Green Tomato Chutney?

This green tomato chutney shines as a topping for grilled or roast meats. However, there’s so much more you can do with this condiment. These are just some of our suggestions:

Topping for Cooked Meats: Serve green tomato chutney as a topping for cooked meats, such as grilled steak, roasted chicken, or pan-seared pork chops. Just spoon it over the meat right before serving.
With Deli Meats: Spread this chutney on sandwiches with deli meats like turkey, ham, or roast beef for a flavorful twist on your usual lunch.
Relish replacement: Use green tomato chutney as a replacement for a traditional relish. Simply spoon some of it over the hot dog and enjoy!
With crusty bread: You’d be surprised, but this chutney is simply amazing when served over hot crusty baguette, especially if you spread some salty butter on the baguette before topping it with the chutney.
In Stir-Fries: This is one of the unusual ways to use this condiment. Add green tomato chutney to stir-fried meats, such as chicken, beef, or shrimp. Simply stir in two tablespoons towards the end of cooking to keep the flavors vibrant.

Surprisingly Simple Solution For Your Unripe Tomatoes: Green Tomato Chutney

Why Make Chutney With Green Tomatoes?

Green Tomato Chutney vs. Green Tomato Relish

Green Tomato Chutney Preparation steps: