This is an old recipe! My nana, passed it down to me from her grandmother, who got it from her aunty. Most tomato relish’s require you to peel the skin of the tomato, but Lola (my nana) used to say “that we didn’t have time for all that fiddling around when I was a girl, so we just cut them up and put them in the pot!”
This recipe is not a time saver. It is a little bit of a process, but you will then get to enjoy a particularly delicious tomato relish that has no additives or preservatives in it and lasts for over 2 years in a sealed jar in the cupboard. Once it is opened, pop it in the fridge, I would suggest using it within 12 months once opened, but honestly an open jar never last that long. I generally put a whole jar in my BBQ Pulled Pork and a couple of big tablespoons in my Spaghetti Bolognese or meatloaf. It tastes fantastic with steak and or chicken too. If you blend it up, it is the best BBQ sauce you have ever tasted. Our family also combines it with cottage cheese for a delicious dip, so the combinations are endless and only limited to your imagination.
The recipe is still in imperial measurements. I tried to switch it over but somehow it just wasn’t the same, so change your thermomix scales for a day or pull out that old pounds and ounces measure scales and off you go.
Ingredients
2 pound onions (32oz)
4 pound tomatoes (64oz)
3 tablespoons cooking salt
1 litre brown vinegar (approximately)
2 pound dark brown sugar (32oz)
2- 3 tablespoons plain flour
1 level tablespoon keen’s mustard powder
1 level tablespoon keen’s curry powder
Method
1. Dice onions and place into a large plastic container. (make sure it has a lid)
2. Chop up tomatoes and add to the same container, mix both ingredients together well.
3. Sprinkle salt over the mixture and mix it through the ingredients.
Three batches of tomato relish ready to brine overnight.
4. Place lid on container and leave over night (minimum 8 hours)
5. The next day, pour all of the ingredients into a large strainer and leave for 15 mins to drain.
6. Place strained ingredients into a large pot (minimum 6 litres) and just cover with brown vinegar (around 800ml as you will need vinegar to make the paste later in the cook)
7. Bring to the boil turn the heat down to a simmer and then cook with the lid on for 1 hour
8. Add in all of the brown sugar and stir in, bring back to the boil and cook for 10 mins.
9. While this is cooking make up your paste mixture.
10. Add flour, mustard powder and curry powder to a bowl, then gradually add in the remaining vinegar, bit by bit storing with a small whisk or fork until the mixture turns to a smooth pourable paste. (MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO LUMPS)
11. Remove the relish from the heat and quickly stir in the pourable paste until well combine with the relish.
12. Return to the heat and cook for another 10 mins constantly stirring the relish to cook out the flour. (Constantly stirring is really important at this stage, as it will start to get thick and stick to the bottom of the pan if you don’t stir)
13. Place sterilised resealable jars onto a tray or heatproof board and using a heat proof jug, pour the mixture into the jars, put the lid’s on immediately and allow to cool completely on a bench.
14. When the jars are completely cool check that the seal had gone down and place in the storage cupboard and let sit in the dark space for at least 6 months (it just taste better). If a jar has not sealed place in the fridge and use.
15. To turn into BBQ Sauce, after step 12, careful pour portions of the mixture into the Thermomix and blend 30 seconds/speed 8 until smooth them pour into jar as per step 13 and 14.
THERMOMIX TIPS
1.Chop you tomatoes in the thermomix 1 – 2 pound at a time (TURBO 2 – 3 seconds)
2.Sorry you do need to dice your onion with a knife unless after it is cooked your re going to blend it in the thermomix to make BBQ sauce.
3. You can also make the paste in the Thermomix if you wish. Place all the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with some vinegar and gradually add more vinegar through the hole in the lid while mixing.
If you would like some help wi the recipe, head on over to my facebook page and search tomato relish as I have done a live video with all the steps explained.
https://www.facebook.com/themotherhubbardscupboard/
Enjoy Irresponsibly
Liz xx
Liz xx
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