Tomato Relish

This year I am making time to try recipes I have wanted to give a crack for awhile. I love to cook and try new recipes, but it's so easy to get stuck in the rut of always cooking the same old meals! 

This weekend I was given a lovely big bag full of delicious home grown tomatoes. YUM! So I thought it was time to give tomato relish a shot. 

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

4 kg ripe tomatoes
1.5 kg onions
3/4 cup of salt
1.3 kg sugar
3 tablespoons curry powder
4 tablespoons mustard powder
1.7 L vinegar
1 tablespoon cornflour
Chilli flakes (not necessary and sprinkle to taste!)


Method:

1. Peel and slice onions and tomatoes. (I didn't bother about peeling the tomatoes, however, if you do wish to, it is easier if you drop them into boiling water for a minute or so first). 

2. Sprinkle salt over the tomatoes and onions and leave overnight. 

3. The next morning, drain off the liquid. There is no need to rinse.

4. Place the tomatoes and onions in a large pot and cover with vinegar. 

5. Add the sugar and bring the mixture to the boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. 

6. Combine all the spices and stir into the relish mixture. 

7. Boil gently for one hour. (I did it for a lot longer as my pot wasn't overly big, so I wasn't able to boil rapidly at the beginning.) Remove scum throughout and stir frequently. 

8. To thicken the relish, add cornflour to a little water to make a smooth paste. 

9.  Add a little of the hot liquid from the relish mixture to the paste until the paste is the consistency of thin cream. 

10. Add the paste to the relish mixture and stir continuously for a few minutes until mixture thickens. 

11. Bottle into sterilised jars. 

Verdict:

I can't help myself, I never stick with the recipe! I always have to add a little of this and add a little of that! 

So whilst the relish was bubbling away, I had a little taste test. I found it was tasting overly sweet and the vinegar was overwhelming. I thought by adding a little pinch of salt it would balance it all out, and sure enough it did! BUT...... let me warn you..... after tasting it the next day after I packaged them in the jars, the flavours have changed! And now, it is tasting a little saltier than I was expecting. It still tastes delicious, but the extra pinch of salt was clearly not needed.

So, the moral of the story is- DON'T MESS WITH THE RECIPE! Just let the flavours develop and you will be amazed how different your relish tastes a few days later. 

I would definitely recommend this recipe, it was easy and required very little ingredients. 

What recipe have you been wanting to try out for awhile? Maybe it's time to give it a shot. 

Good Luck

Tara xxx