This easy to make Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney dances on the tongue with notes of sweet, sour and spice. You’ll want to eat this chutney straight out of the jar it’s so good!
If you’re lucky enough to have green fingers and grow your own tomatoes, then you’ll know that preserving them is the best way to enjoy your crop all year round! I’m quite new to tomato growing so have yet to harvest mine (see below) but they’re doing really well for a change. I made this chutney when I came across some bargain mixed tomatoes and sweet mini peppers.
Where does Chutney originate from?
Chutney (chatni) originates from the Indian subcontinent where they take the form of freshly made sauces to accompany a meal eg yogurt based cucumber and mint raita, tomato relish etc. Along the way sugar (jaggary) got added to tart fruits in Indian chutneys. Eventually chutney got anglicised with the addition of brown sugar and vinegar in order to preserve them for long storage eg Mango Chutney.
What’s in Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney?
I adapted my Mixed Tomato Chutney recipe which was based on a Nigel Slater recipe. So along with the mixed baby tomatoes, red onions, mustard seeds, garlic, salt and Muscovado sugar I added sweet mini peppers, chilli flakes, ground ginger, cider vinegar and currants. You might wonder why currants and not sultanas? Well they’re what I had and they went very well! However if you prefer to use sultanas, raisins or any other dried fruit then feel free to use what you have!
What do you serve Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney with?
This tomato chutney is perfect with cheese, cold meats, sandwiches, burgers, stirred into casseroles or just straight out of the jar. Believe me, you be inventing excuses to eat this delicious chutney.
How soon can you eat Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney after making it?
Often chutneys need to mature for a couple of months before they’re at their best but this chutney is so delicious you can eat it straight away! Just wait for it to cool though!
How long will this tomato and pepper chutney keep for and how should it be stored?
To enjoy this chutney its best I would advise to keep in a cool dark place and eat within 12 months. Once opened it should be kept in the fridge and eaten within 4 weeks. Although it will be a miracle if you have any left after a week!
What sort of pan should you make chutney in?
A large stainless steel or enamelled pan should be used as the vinegar won’t react with these, keeping the flavour at its best.
More Chutney Recipes
Once you’ve tried my tomato & pepper chutney you should check out these chutney recipes:
- Mixed Tomato Chutney
- Easy Spicy Mango Chutney
- Spicy Courgette & Apple Chutney
- Blackberry Chutney
- Spiced Rhubarb Chutney
- Homemade Fruity Chutney
- Spiced Apple Chutney
Easy Spicy Mango Chutney
Plus check out these more traditional fresh Indian chutney recipes:
- Coriander & Mint Raita
- Coriander Chutney a.k.a. dhania ki chutney
- Coconut Chutney a.k.a. nariyal ki chutney
Pin for later and check out the step-by-step video!
Spicy Baby Tomato & Sweet Pepper Chutney
Equipment
- scales
- preserving pan
- ladle
- preserve jars and lids
Ingredients
- 750 g mixed baby tomatoes (red, orange & yellow) halved, leaving a few of the smaller ones whole
- 175 g mixed sweet mini (bell) peppers (red, orange & yellow) diced
- 350 g red onions chopped
- 1 tsp salt flakes
- 2 tsp mustards seeds
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp crushed chillies flakes, more if you wish
- 2 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 300 mls cider vinegar I used organic
- 90 g currants or sultanas
- 225 g light muscovado sugar
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a preserving pan except the tomatoes.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for a further 35 minutes, still stirring. (The chutney will go syrupy and part easily when a wooden spoon is dragged through it).
- Ladle into the hot jars and seal with lids.
- Makes about 800 mls (2 – 3 jars).
Video
Notes
Sterilise jars by washing in hot soapy water (or take straight from dishwasher), fill with boiling water, empty and then place in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C where you leave them until the chutney is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and then left to drain (if they don’t dry in time I pop them in the oven once the jars have finished “cooking” and just run the fan to dry them off for a few minutes).
Natalya Harris
Instead of canning could one freeze?
Camilla
Hi Natalya, this recipe isn’t canned, which I take to mean giving it a water bath. Just make it as per the instructions for a shelf stable chutney. I certainly wouldn’t freeze it.
Helen
These small tomatoes are expensive in my area. Can I use something else? No thickener? Can I put some flour in to thicken it?
Camilla
Hi Helen, you could use larger tomatoes cut to the size of baby tomatoes but be sure to pick ones full of flavour, a bland tasting tomato just won’t do. As for flour, that has no place in a chutney, the chutney thickens as you cook it due to the evaporation of moisture.
Lucienne Turner
Do you seal the jars while it’s still hot? I’m preparing the ingredients to do it this morning.
Camilla
Hi Lucienne, yes you always seal jars whilst hot in order to form a vacuum/seal.
Lucienne Turner
Thanks a lot. It was my first time doing this and everyone loves it.
Camilla
Awesome Lucienne, so glad it went down well with everyone:-)
Lisa | Handmade in Israel
I made this last night! Chutney isn’t readily available in the supermarkets here and my supply ran out. I found your recipe and had a go. It is so delicious. I won’t be buying ever again!
Camilla
So pleased you like it Lisa, can’t wait for tomato season to start again here:-)
Marie Mitchell
I have made the sweet pepper chutney and it has been a wonderful success !
I I have varied it by adding some sweet apples , pears and cinnamon .
All in all a wonderful recipe . !
Thank you so much !!
Camilla
Excellent Marie, great to add your own twist, sounds delicious:-)
Amanda
This recipe looks amazing! I have a glut of tomatoes that stayed orange, quite hard and just would not ripen, do you think I could use these successfully?
Camilla
Hi Amanda, I made this chutney yesterday with about a quarter of my green/orange tomatoes mixed in with red, orange and yellow ones. I would add some ripe ones to the mix too as I’m not sure what the flavour would be like using just under-ripe tomatoes. Or you could be brave and just use what you have and let me know how it goes. Just cook them from the get go like the green tomatoes in the recipe.
Darlene
OM Camilla, I neglected to give you a 5 star on my previous comment.
Sorry …..here is 5 for you. 🙂
Camilla
Aaw, that’s so kind Darlene:-)