Thai Green Tomato Chutney

This end-of-summer chutney combines late-season green tomatoes with sweet ripe plums and has all the tangy, spicy notes of Thai cuisine. Serve with grilled eggplant, cherry peppers, and cilantro.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes about 5 (1-pt./500-mL) jars
  • 2 lb. (1 kg) red plums, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 ½ lb. (750 g) green tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1⅓ cups (325 mL) diced onion (1 large onion)
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (125 mL) rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice (about 2 large)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Thai chile peppers, minced*
  • 1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Makes about 5 (1-pt./500-mL) jars.

Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a 6-qt. (6-L) stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until fruit begins to soften. Add chile peppers and salt; simmer, stirring constantly, 25 minutes or until very thick. Stir in cilantro. Remove from heat.

Ladle hot chutney into a hot jar, leaving 1⁄2-inch (.5-cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

* ½ to 1 tsp. (2 to 5 mL) ground red pepper may be substituted.

Simple Switch
Other varieties of plums, such as Italian prune plums, pluots, and green damson plums work nicely in this recipe too.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes about 5 (1-pt./500-mL) jars
  • 2 lb. (1 kg) red plums, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 ½ lb. (750 g) green tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1⅓ cups (325 mL) diced onion (1 large onion)
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (125 mL) rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice (about 2 large)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Thai chile peppers, minced*
  • 1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh cilantro