Green Tomato and Chili Jelly

I have just spent another weekend making King of the Pippins Sauce (they have finally appeared on my market) and preserving green tomatoes, which will soon be over. Contrary to the Green Tomato Salad, this recipe is, I can proudly say, my own invention. Of course it is not very original since I based it on Hot Pepper Jelly, modifying the proportions, but aiming at a similar blend of sweet and hot, my favourite flavours’ combination. I first made it as an experiment with a couple of leftover green tomatoes, but the result was so good, I have been preparing this jelly for three years now. In spite of being hot, this jelly has a very subtle, slightly refreshing taste. It is not as versatile as the Pepper Jelly. It goes well also on toast, with grilled or stir-fried meat, fish, vegetables, but I avoid pairing it with curry, red tomato sauce, spicy dishes or simply with very powerful flavours.

The process is very easy. You simply mix the tomatoes and the chillies in a food processor, then cook it with the remaining ingredients, add the pectin and put into jars.

Preparation: 45 minutes + hot water bath or another processing method

Ingredients:

1 kg green tomatoes

red or green chili peppers (here everything depends on how hot you want it to be; I usually add 10 bird’s-eye-chili peppers)

1 tablespoon salt

300 g white sugar

100 ml vinegar 4,5% acidity (or less if using stronger vinegar)

60 g pectin in powder

Wash the tomatoes and the peppers.

Cut off the stems.

Put both in a food processor and mix well.

Put into a pan, add the vinegar, the sugar and the salt and boil on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Add the pectin, stir well and let the jelly simmer for 15 more minutes.

/At this point you can (after the chutney has cooled down) either freeze it or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year!/

Pour the chutney, still hot, into sterilised jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the chutney and don’t forget to mark the date.

NOTE: For the readers who live in the USA, the USDA-approved canning method is different. You can find it described here:Β http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html.

30 Replies to “Green Tomato and Chili Jelly”

  1. I can imagine pouring this delicious sauce over white fish. Such a beautiful natural color. You’ve been canning so many jars this year. Have you count how many? I think you can open up a store and I’m serious!! πŸ˜‰ Happy Monday to you!

    1. Thank you, Nami! I don’t count them really, but lots lots lots… Selling preserves would be far from being an unpleasant way of earning money πŸ˜‰ Have a lovely week!

  2. I just love the addition of chili to jellies. My husband and I enjoy the kick and find that it complements meats beautifully. We typically treat ourselves to a jar (or two :)) over the Christmas holidays. I don’t do a lot of preserving myself so it’s always fun to learn about the elements and technique. I have to add this to my (long) list of things I’d like to start doing more regularly… lovely colour Sissi.

    1. Thank you so much, Kelly! Jellies are one of the easiest and laziest of my preserves. Unfortunately the green tomatoes become a bit yellowish during the cooking process…

  3. Hey Sissi! You are way too hard on yourself about the technology boo boo this morning! I enjoy reading your postings and wouldn’t do harm to you just because of an accident!

    Anywho, I’ve got to give green tomatoes a try, the color is absolutely gorgeous and I from your description, I must be missing a taste gem!

    1. Thank you, Jeno, for kind words. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t write letters by hand, then I wouldn’t mix up the buttons or checkboxes and would have more time to think before doing something.
      I don’t know if it’s a taste gem, but it’s really good, quite original and very easy to make!

  4. What a lovely, refreshing color! I can imagine this replacing the regular relish for a hotdog or a burger or other dishes that gets complimented with a relish.

  5. Your time with this recipe couldn’t be better, as the growing season for our tomatoes literally ends today (a cold front is rolling in tomorrow). I have so many green tomatoes that need a happy home and your recipe might be just what the doctor order. Thx!

    1. I am so happy if I can help to use your green tomatoes! Try also pickling them (my green tomato salad recipe was posted last Monday), in case you don’t like this jelly… Good luck and write to me if you need any help!

  6. Maybe we should have done something like this for our jelly competition but I guess we need to find a slot to fit it into our chart lol.

    I would definitely have this with a summer salad or on plain pizza without tomato sauce but just cheese perhaps. πŸ™‚

    1. I am honoured to hear it from such an excellent chef! On the other hand I don’t know in which ethnic cuisine you would classify it πŸ˜‰

  7. Another awesome recipe from you, my list of things to make is growing. The “fish fritters” and herring salad will be happening soon I think. Anyway I just remembered buying picked tomatoes (both green and red) in Central Asia. The tomatoes were pickled whole, I don’t know how. Maybe left in brine for some time. It was bit tart, salty and extremely delicious. Next time I am there I will bring back a kg, at least, since I still haven’t seen green tomatoes here.

    1. Thank you, Mr. Three-Cookies. Green tomatoes are simply unripe tomatoes, so sometimes the only way is to go to a farmers’ market and order them or go to a farm and ask if you can have some (I bet they would sell you for almost nothing). I think I have seen whole pickled tomatoes with Russian labels in a multi-ethnic grocery shop. They were in salt brine (not vinegar I think).

  8. I never made jelly, and seeing your recipe I sure would like to give this a try…green tomatoes and chili sounds and looks so tasty.
    Hope you have a great week ahead Sissi πŸ™‚

    1. Thank you, Martyna. I wouldn’t be surprised if you dreamt all nights about cones and conic dishes πŸ˜‰ I wonder when you will stop imagining every dish shaped into a cone.

  9. I’m glad you posted a picture of the apple “King of the Pippins”. I can tell you now that this is not the apple I grew up loving, which means that I’m sorry, but your claim that King of the Pippins is the most beautiful, aromatic apple in the world is wrong πŸ˜‰ Haha. For real though – if you think that is good then you have a treat in store if you are ever able to try the other one I’ve seen. King of the Pippins seems to have distinctive vertical striping on it. “My” apple has no striping – it has red/green blotches instead. One side is usually green-ish, the other deep red, depending on which side was pointing the sun during growing. I’ve never heard of King of the Pippins before you telling me though so I’m eager to give it a try. Perhaps it’s at least similar in taste inside. If it was and I could find it I think I’d be the happiest guy in the world!

    You’re jelly looks amazing Sissi – I almost called it chutney, but of course it’s not the same… I’m so used to seeing those sort of ingredients in a chutney though, so to see them in a chutney is really a new experience.

    I’m curious – did you ever try sterilising your jars by putting them in the oven? I always use this method to great success. Fishing jars out of boiling water from a pan lined with old cloths sounds very difficult in my head πŸ™‚

    1. Thank you so much Charles. I hope I will be able to taste your favourite apple one day. I also have a favourite apple from my childhood, but have never found it in Switzerland or in France πŸ™
      However it is great eaten raw and not as aromatic as King of the Pippins, which is perfect for preserves and cakes.
      It’s not really chutney I suppose, since it contains only chili and tomato (no other spices).
      By sterilising do you mean processing jars? I know people who sterilise jars in the oven before filling them with jams etc., but have never heard of processing preserves in the oven. I am used to the hot water bath method, since my mum always used it. I find it very easy (the jars are not completely covered with water, so it’s easy to grab them with a glove or a special tool which I have never seen sold here by the way…), I suppose it’s a question of habit. I have a big old pan used only for processing and also a towel used only for this.

      1. Sorry, I meant washing the jars and then placing them in the oven to sterilise, and then taking them out and filling with jam/preserves immediately, and then sealing. It’s the method I always use myself, but I see what you mean – I guess it really depends on your habit.

        If I’m ever in England when these apples are on sale I’ll buy some, wrap them in paper and send them to you. Apples can keep for a very long time so it should be no problem in the mail (although a rather strange thing to receive I think :D)

        1. Oh, I see! So you never process the jars once they are filled with preserves? I use simply jars washed and closed sometimes several months before, so I’m sure they are clean, but to make sure they will keep and will not develop bacteria I always fill them with very hot preserves and then to make sure I process in hot water bath. It’s easier for me than taking care of both the jars and the preserve at the same time and I know I can skip sterilising if I process the jars afterwards πŸ˜‰ I know some people who simply sterilise the jars and never process. My mum always used to say it’s double security πŸ˜‰ but I know it’s not necessary. I am just used to this.
          You are so sweet, but I am sure it would be too much trouble! I wish I could go to Britain and visit the famous Borough market to taste these apples and other British delicacies…

  10. This sounds delicious, Sissi! I can imagine it tasting heavenly with stir fried meat. I’ve still yet to try making homemade jelly, but it’s definitely on the agenda. Yours is just so unique! x

    1. Thank you, Greg. It was really the last moment I think (although there are also the green house tomatoes…).

Comments are closed.