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| Dark Spiced Green Tomato Chutney |
Making homemade chutneys and relishes is so satisfying and feels like getting back to basics. This recipe is no different - an economical, homely and rustic this dark chutney made at the tail end of summer - that moment when the last of the garden tomatoes won't ripen now but it's a shame to waste them, summer apples are cheap, and you’ve got a large bag of sultanas or raisins (or a combo of both) and warm spices in the pantry to turn everything into something truly special.
This is the kind of chutney that fills the kitchen with that unmistakable late‑summer smell: tomatoes simmering down with apples, vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice with a touch of cayenne … all those cozy, warming notes that pair beautifully with ploughman-style crusty bread and thick slices of cheese.
And the best part? You can enjoy it straight away or let it mature for a few weeks to turn it deep and beautifully rounded.
A Chutney That Only Gets Better With Time
Freshly made, this chutney is thick and dark, with a gentle tang from the vinegar with the almost caramalised brown sugar and pops of sweetness from the apple. The unripe tomatoes really do give it a flavour that's hard to place. But give it a few weeks in a cool cupboard and it transforms into something richer and more complex. The spices mellow, the fruit softens, and everything melts together into that classic “dark chutney” flavour that’s hard to beat.
If you can resist opening a jar early, it’s worth the wait. If you can’t it's also good straight away.
Perfect With Bread, Cheese & All the Good Things
This chutney is a natural with:
- thick slices of fresh bread
- sharp cheddar or creamy brie
- cold meats on a nibbles platter
- crackers and a wedge of blue cheese
- leftover roast beef or ham
- sausage rolls or savoury pies
It’s the kind of jar you’ll reach for constantly turning a simple sandwich or lunch into something a bit special, or makes a last‑minute platter look luxurious, earthy rustic.
A Lovely Way to Use Up the Last of the Garden
If you’ve got:
- a bowl of green tomatoes
- a couple of apples
- a handful of sultanas
- a few warm spices
- Brown sugar
- Malt vinegar
…you’ve got everything you need.
There’s no fussing, no perfect chopping, no strict rules. Just throw it all in a heavy-bottomed stock pot, stir occasionally, and let it simmer gently until it turns dark, thick, and glossy.
A Pantry Staple Worth Making Every Year
Once you’ve made a batch of dark chutney like this, it becomes one of those annual rituals, a way to tuck something delicious away for the cold months ahead.
Whether you spoon it onto a cheese board, add to a sandwich or give a jar to a friend, it always feels like a little gift from your own kitchen.
This recipe is one I first adapted from an old 1990 Australian Women’s Weekly soft‑cover book - the kind of well‑loved kitchen classic that’s been splattered and thumbed through for decades. I’ve come back to it for ideas so many times over the years whenever I’ve had an oversupply of fruit or vegetables to use up. This season my green tomatoes happened to be cherry tomatoes, and the chutney came out beautifully, proving once again that these older recipes are wonderfully simple, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable.
Watch me make this Dark Spiced Green Tomato Chutney in the short YouTube clip above. You’ll see how the hot jars and freshly boiled metal lids naturally pull the cap inward as they cool - a good sign your jars have sealed properly.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg green tomatoes, chopped (unless using mini tomatoes)
- 2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced (about 300 g / 10.6 oz total)
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces (about 350–400 g / 12–14 oz total)
- 2½ cups soft brown sugar, packed (500 g / 17.6 oz)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice (ground cloves as an alternate)
- 1½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups sultanas or raisins (240 g / 8.5 oz)
- 1 litre brown (malt) vinegar (4 cups / 33.8 fl oz)
Method:
Add all the ingredients to a large stock pot and bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring as it heats so the sugar fully dissolves.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 1½–2 hours, or until the mixture has thickened. Give it an occasional stir to make sure nothing catches on the bottom. Be careful not to cook for too long and caramalise or burn the sugar.
Place clean jars in the oven for about 1/2 an hour at 100c fan. If using metal lids, boil those in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes.
Ladle the hot chutney into a jug then pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in the fridge once opened.
Makes around 6 cups - perfect for filling 3–4 medium 425 g jars.
Can be eaten straight away (once cooled), but flavour improves with age.
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| Dark Spiced Green Tomato Chutney |
Hints and tips:
For oven‑sterilizing jars, the safe, standard home‑preserving guideline is:
Heat-clean jars at 120°C (250°F) for 15-20 minutes. That’s long enough to sterilize without risking the glass cracking.
- Using tongs, lay jars on hot oven rack grooves to keep them steady - not touching.
- Make sure they’re washed first (hot soapy water, well rinsed).
- Keep them in the oven until your chutney or jam is ready to jar.
- Metal lids should not go in the oven - simmer them in a pot of water for 5 minutes instead.
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