Tomato Relish

This recipe is very simple and it tastes delicious. 

It's easy to make when you have that glut of tomatoes that happens at the end of every summer. 

The tomatoes need peeling but it really is the sort of job that never takes as long as you think it will.

Simple Savings can help you today !  You've seen it on A Current Affair and read about it in That's Life magazine, now see how Fiona Lippey's hints and tips can help you save thousands of dollars each year.

To convert any of these ingredients into US measurements please use this Quantity Conversion Chart.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 kg (3 and 1/2 pounds) of tomatoes
2 red capsicums (mild red pepper), chopped small
3 medium sized onions, chopped small
2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon salt

Method:

Remove stem end from each  tomato.  Lightly cut a cross into the skin at the opposite end of the tomatoes.  Place them in a large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let sit for 3 minutes.  Plunge the tomatoes into cold water and let them sit for 3 minutes.  Skins should then easily peel off.

Chop the tomatoes and place them in a large pot with the capsicum and onions.  Bring it to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer the tomato mixture for about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Turn up the heat and boil the relish for up to an hour until it has thickened.

Pour into hot sterilised jars.  Seal whilst hot.

Makes 4 - 5 jars.
 

Notes:

I try to use plum shaped tomatoes for this recipe as they are more fleshy and less juicy than other varieties.  Too much juice delays the thickening process.

Food Facts:

Tomatoes first grew as wild cherry sized fruits in the South American Andes but the tomato as we know it today, originates from Mexico.  Tomato seeds were taken back to the Mediterranean countries where they quickly became popular.  There are now more than 7,000 varieties of tomatoes. Eating tomatoes at least two times per week is now believed to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and to be beneficial in fighting other forms of cancer.  The key ingredient in tomatoes is Lycopene which is a carotenoid.  Cooking tomatoes, most especially in oil, releases the lycopene making it more available to the body.  Tomatoes are also said to be good for the eyes.  Tomatoes that are ripened on the vine have far more vitamin C than those that are picked green.