Recipe: green tomato chutney

Coincidence. On holiday, Saskia discovered a delicious homemade green tomato chutney at a roadside stall. Delicious with goat cheese. ‘Oe, I want to make that at home too.’ And what happens? When we get home, suddenly there is a tomato plant in the garden. No idea how it got there, probably blossomed from a seed from a stranded bird droppings. So hup, to work with the French recipe for green tomato chutney. And it worked!

Eating green tomatoes

Fun fact: In France, it is tradition to make this green tomato chutney (or compot) in autumn when unripe tomatoes cannot turn red after all. In short, a classic example of zero waste cooking. Nice. So did we! And of course, what those French can do, we can do too! But are green tomatoes actually edible? It is true that green tomatoes contain solanine and tomatine. These are two natural toxins that can give you a stomach ache in large quantities. And no, these substances do not disappear completely by cooking, although the risk is reduced if you heat the tomatoes and eat them in small quantities. But don't panic: you really have to consume a big pile of raw green tomatoes to get sick from them. So in a chutney, stew or other cooked dish, green tomatoes are both safe and delicious. Be a bit careful if you are pregnant or cooking for children, who are more sensitive to solanine. So: eat it in moderation, heated well and enjoy it.

Leftover green tomatoes? Get started with a green tomato chutney.

Recipe for homemade green tomato chutney

Green tomato chutney is a treat on a late summer drinks board. Delicious with a piece of goat cheese or on a crusty roll. We discovered this little taste bomb in the south of France, but good news: even with those stubborn, unripe tomatoes from your Dutch garden (or from the market) you can make something delicious at home. This is one of those recipes that will make you happy. The flavour? A little sweet and a little sour. And completely homemade.

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Preparation 5 minutes mins

Preparation 50 minutes mins

Course toppings, appetiser

Cuisine French

Servings 1 pot

Kitchenware

• cutting board and knife
• pan
• spoon
• jar with lid to keep your chutney in

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 150 gr green tomatoes diced
• 110 gr sugar
• 10 gr organic lemon that's about the juice of a quarter of a lemon + some zest

Instructions

 

• Wash the green tomatoes and cut them into small cubes.
• Grate some zest from a lemon (just the yellow part) and cut a piece of flesh with it, without seeds.
• Put everything together with the sugar in a pan.
• Slowly bring to the boil and stir well until the sugar is completely melted.
• Simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes until the mixture has a syrupy texture.
• Too watery? Then remove a few spoonfuls of liquid. Want it a bit smoother? Then you can mash the chutney, if necessary. Too thick? Add a little water.
• Pour the hot chutney into a clean jar. Tip: Sterilise your jar. Pour boiling water over it and then put it in an oven at 100°C for 10 minutes. Don't forget the lid! Then fill the jar with the green tomato chutney.

Notes

In the fridge, this chutney will keep for at least 2-3 weeks, if you don't eat it before then, of course.

Want to make more? Then use this ratio: 56% tomato, 40% sugar and 4% lemon. So if you have 300g of tomato, just adjust the proportions.

Keyword chutney, compot, jam, green tomatoes

More recipe tips

• Do you also find yourself with green, unripe figs? Then check out this recipe: candied green figs.
• Also delicious for on a summer drinks board is your own game picking pesto.
  
  

Sources: radar.nl, pokon.nl, libelle-lekker.be, nutrition centre.nl. Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.