Tomato Chutney safe to can? and seeking the tastiest BWB tomatoes

14 years ago

Hi folks,

It is tomato time here in Toronto and I'm canning this weekend. I have 2 bushels and I'll do my usual tomatoes and the ketchup and chili sauce from the Book of Small Batch Preserving, however there is a small chutney recipe I'd like to try. I'm wondering if it's safe for canning. It has lots of vinegar and sugar and no oil. It looks fine but it's from a non-canning book (Living and Eating by John Pawson and Annie Bell) so I'm not sure whether I shouldn't just keep the chutney in the fridge to play it safe.

Ingredients

3 pounds tomatoes

1 pound apples

1.5 pounds onions

2 cups cider vinegar

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp fresh ginger

2.5 cups raisins

2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp sea salt

Thoughts?

Question 2: When canning plain tomatoes in a BWB I always use a raw pack without added liquid. Is there anyone out there who as tried other methods (e.g. raw pack with water, etc) who has an opinion on which method produces the tastiest tomatoes? Thoughts on the effect of one's acid choice are also welcomed (I use bottled lemon juice but am thinking of trying citric acid this year).

Sorry if this has all been covered a thousand times, I had poor luck with the search function.

Cheers,

Gatito

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Comments (5)

digdirt2
14 years ago
Well it is a cooking recipe, not a canning recipe and untested so there is no way to guarantee its safety for you. I'd use the tested and approved Tomato-Apple Chutney recipe instead.

As to the tomatoes - honestly I have never understood the desire to do raw pack and have to put up with the floating and loss of liquid in the jars not to mention the 85 mins of processing! Been there and done that. ;) The other approved methods are so much easier and faster and as far as I can tell after 40+ years to doing them, just as tasty, so I much prefer hot pack. But to each his own. ;)

The lemon juice vs. citric acid question seems to be just a matter of taste. Some claim the bottled lemon juice can be tasted - I can't but I have old taste buds. But I have tried both ways and since most agree the citric acid imparts no flavoring so I'd give it a try and see which you prefer.

Enjoy your tomatoes. :^)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Preserving Chutneys
Linda_Lou
14 years ago
I do agree, use the recipe for the chutney that is linked to from Dave.
At the extension office, we feel the crushed tomatoes give the best results and flavor of all methods. That is the one we suggest. Takes less time, too. Another plus.
I like either one, bottled lemon juice or citric acid. I use whichever I have on hand. Some say they can tell the difference in taste. I don't really have a taste preference. May be worth you trying so you will know.
Nice to be able to store the powdered version, I think. My refrigerators are full enough as is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning crushed tomatoes.
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http://foodinjars.com/2010/09/tomato-jam/. (I also don't know that it's been tested, nor do I know how to verify % acidity) It would probably be considered safe IMO because of the undiluted ratio of 1/2 c (8T) of lime juice to 5 lbs. of tomatoes. Plus all other ingredients except for the ginger are dried ingredients and all the sugar has a binding effect on any free water left in the tomatoes. As a general rule lime juice and lemon juice are more acidic than even vinegar and using bottled (stabilized) lime or lemon juice insures even greater pH control. Fresh limes and lemons can vary greatly in pH which is why using the bottled juices is recommended. The only real question with it IMO is the density and if that is enough processing time? Till it "reduces to a sticky, jammy mess" leaves lots of room for interpretation and I would want it to be more soupy than tomato paste, more like tomato sauce. Since tomato sauce calls for 35 min processing to insure proper heat penetration, I would increase the processing time to 35 min. Do you think I could substitute my fresh ginger for the dried? Or is ginger a dangerous "add" to a canning recipe? The general rule is you can always add additional dried ingredients without affecting pH but you cannot add fresh ingredients as they will affect the pH. In this particular recipe, since it is a straight vinegar recipe you have a bit of leeway so such a small amount of fresh ginger would probably still be safe. However that change would NOT be considered a safe one routinely. I am hoping to experiment a bit more this year. Experimentation without formalized training in the underlying issues first can be quite risky. Tread carefully. Dave
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I am getting tired just thinking of all this, LOL. Basically, if your onion is within the amount for a halved recipe of the BBB and you're not adding green peppers but using raisins instead, you should be fine. Both apples and green tomatoes are acidic, the green tomatoes being more acidic, so if you change the proportions to include more green tomatoes and fewer apples than the BBB recipe calls for that's fine as long as it tastes OK. The main thing is to have enough vinegar-sugar syrup that the chutney is not too dry. Since the product has already been thoroughly acidified with the previous cooking, it seems principally a matter of heating through and sufficiently to blend flavors and plump the raisins. Your salt levels are not an issue, nor are the differences in time. You used less salt and didn't rinse while the BBB used more salt and did rinse. All-in-all the result is pretty much the same. Salt, sugar, spices are all flexible in this recipe. It's an undiluted vinegar-sugar solution with a low level of onion, so you have some latitude without the safety concerns of a salsa, for instance. So go by taste; when it tastes good and is the right consistency, jar it up. With a chutney there are fewer concerns with texture, so if your canner can't accomodate all you make, you could do two separate batches in the BWB with no problems. I hope this helps. Things have gotten a little confusing, but what you're doing is no different than many previous-generation cooks who often created excellent recipes from what was essentially a salvage operation. Take notes. You'll hate it if everyone loves what you came up with and you can't recreate it. Carol
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gatito
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you kindly to you both for your replies. Considering your experience it means a lot. Dave, you have actually been canning longer than I've been alive!

I'm going to do my recipe (only because I don't feel like doing the larger recipe) and will place it in the fridge.

This is my third year canning tomatoes. I started with raw pack because I was intimidated by the prep of other methods and it looked the easiest. But yes, the processing time is killer. I think a combination of crushed and hot pack will do nicely.

Couldn't locate any citric acid so lemon juice it is.

Thanks again!
brendan_of_bonsai
14 years ago
gatito, I'll bet that there is a mormon temple near you, and I'll bet that if you ask some of the ladies there nicely one of them can either tell you were to find citric acid in your area, or at least lead you to someone who cans and they can tell you. Canning is a part of their culture, and you can turn that to your advantage.
ksrogers
14 years ago
Citric acid source on the internet

Here is a link that might be useful: Citric acid source.

Tomato Chutney safe to can? and seeking the tastiest BWB tomatoes

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digdirt2

Linda_Lou

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Tomato Chutney safe to can? and seeking the tastiest BWB tomatoes

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digdirt2

Linda_Lou

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