Autumn hit before the last of my tomatoes had a chance to ripen. They started rotting on the vine before they changed color. I picked the good ones and started looking into green tomato relish recipes. None of them really tickled my fancy so while I was at the library I asked one of the librarians who does a lot of canning what she did with her green tomatoes. She suggested chutney. I liked the idea, especially since curry is a mainstay in my diet. I got apples from my parents’ trees and used at least two different varieties.

I threw all the fruit and veggies in my food processor and pureed it in batches. It’d be possible to do it by hand but very time consuming.

I put the spices in a muslin culinary bag meant to be retrieved from a dish after cooking. It worked beautifully. If you don’t have a culinary bag, a tea ball or several layers of cheesecloth tied off with butcher’s string will work.

I froze mine so I’m not sure how this recipe will hold up to canning. It may need more vinegar to be suitable for canning.

I’m surprised at the versatility of this recipe. I’ve eaten it on chicken curry, on rice noodles alone, as a jam on flatbread with hard cooked eggs, and as a sauce with beef and rice. The librarian also suggested baking it on brie with a curry sauce.

4 lbs green tomatoes
4 apples
1 onion
2 jalapeños
5 cloves of garlic
zest of one lemon
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbs salt
1/2 inch ginger root
4 green cardamon pods
4 cloves
2 star anise

Core and quarter tomatoes. Peel, core and quarter apples. Remove seeds and veins from the jalapeno peppers, if desired. It will be hotter if you leave them in. Puree the tomatoes, apples, onion, jalapeños, and garlic in a food processor in batches. Add to a large stock pot with lemon zest, vinegar, honey, and salt. Stir well. Add spices in a culinary bag or tea ball and place in the pot with the chutney. Cook on low until reduced by at least a quarter, stirring often. Remove the spice bag after cooking.