I DREAMED UP THIS CHUTNEY ONE FALL WHEN MY community garden tomato plants were heavy with green fruit and the days were rapidly getting shorter. My parents tend to harvest their green tomatoes and slowly let them ripen in cardboard boxes in their garage. However, living in a 1,100 square foot apartment means I don’t have the same luxury of space. So, after reading every chutney recipe I had, I cobbled this one together. It’s good with cheddar cheese and great alongside scrambled eggs.
6 cups chopped green tomato (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg)
1¼ cups/200 g chopped yellow onion
1 cup/240 ml apple cider vinegar
1½ cups/300 g (packed) brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
Prepare a boiling water bath and 2 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine all ingredients except the crystallized ginger in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until the chutney is thick and any remaining liquid looks syrupy, not watery, about 1 to 1½ hours.
When the chutney is finished cooking, stir in the chopped crystallized ginger. Ladle the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (see page 11).