Sweet and Tangy Two-Colour Tomato Chutney

There’s always that one moment

at the end of the garden season where you stand in front of your tomato plants, basket in hand, feeling slightly betrayed.
You know the moment — when the nights start dipping just a bit too cold, and half your tomatoes are still stubbornly green. So there I was, fully committed to rescuing the last of my green tomatoes before Montréal’s temperature rollercoaster could claim them. I picked them, piled them into the fruit bowl, and confidently declared to my husband that I was going to turn these into chutney tonight. I heard great stories about green tomato chutney.

Naturally, I didn’t make chutney that night. Or the next day. Or that weekend.

Somewhere along the way, while I was distracted with soups and other experiments, half of those very green tomatoes suddenly decided to ripen in the bowl. I’d created a half-green, half-red tomato situation entirely by accident. But this procrastination situation couldn't have turned out better!

This chutney — built from equal parts green and red tomatoes — is richer, rounder, and far more interesting than a strict green-only batch. The red tomatoes melt into a jammy base while the green ones keep things bright, tart, and add structure. This makes for a chutney that tastes like late summer, early fall, and goed perfectly on your holiday charcuterie board. Now I just tell people that this was fully intended.

Even better news is that I also postponed to post this recipe, so a lot of people are already out of home-grown tomatoes. Good news for those in the Northern countries, where the tomatoes are now back to dense and flavourless; this recipe can be easily made with store-bought, all-red plum tomatoes. Let's dive into it

Two-Coloured Tomato Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

• 500 g green tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 500 g red tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 450 g onions, diced

• 170 g raisins, finely choped

• 3–4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• ½ tbsp yellow mustard seeds (or 1 tbsp if you like a punchy crunch)

• 1 tsp pickled jalapeños, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp fine salt

• 1 tbsp ground black pepper

• 250 ml apple cider vinegar

• 250 ml red wine vinegar

• 300 g dark brown sugar

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chopped green and red tomatoes, onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir it well.

2. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and mix in the sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring occasionally.

3. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about 45 minutes, up to an hour, stirring occasionally. You want the chutney to thicken up nicely!

4. While it simmers, in a small pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, frying them until they start to pop.

5. Carefully pour the seeds and oil mixture into the chutney. Stir to combine, and then season with salt to taste.

6. Let the chutney cool to room temperature before transferring it to sterilized jars or containers.

Now you have a vibrant tomato chutney that's perfect as a dip, a side, or a topping for your favorite dishes. Enjoy it with grilled vegetables, burgers, or even as a spread on sandwiches. The taste is an absolute crowd-pleaser and brings a fresh twist to any table!

Happy cooking. I am happy you are here :)