I first tasted this tomato relish when our friends gave us a jar as a gift. 

I fell instantly in love.

Everything was perfect. On first impression, one immediately noticed the beautiful homemade tag that made you want to tuck right in. To try and imitate this effect I spent quite a lot of time decorating my jars. If you’re creatively inclined, this is something you may also want to do.

As for the actual relish; it just seemed to go with everything, and it got finished at top speed! 

Since getting the recipe I’ve tried making it several times; with some successes, and some failures. Although I’ve made quite a few changes to the recipe, the taste is still a lovely reminder of that very first jar.

I’m always intimidated by the amount of sugar you need to add to canned goods. However, through trial and error, I’ve come to accept the crazy amounts needed. 

My last attempt at tomato relish resulted in a runny tomato-y sauce with bits of onion and tomato floating around in it. Not the greatest success. 

So, please do yourself a favor and don’t think too hard about the many cups of sugar that you need to pour into the pot!

The addition of chilli that I’ve made to the recipe also helps to nicely balance out the sweetness. Delicious!

How to Make Tomato Relish

Making tomato relish is surprisingly easy, most of the time spent making it is hands-off.

To begin with, you fry the onions in the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. You then add the chopped chillis, ginger, and garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.

Next, you add the chopped up tomatoes and spices and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes begin getting soft. I recommend chopping up the tomato quite finely so that the relish is not massively chunky.

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Stir in the vinegar and sugar and leave the mixture to simmer uncovered on the lowest heat, stirring occasionally. In about 1 hour 30 minutes, the mixture should have reduced by about ½, and be thick and viscous. If you want it even thicker,  continue simmering it.

Storing & Serving Suggestions

Once the relish has reached your desired consistency, spoon it into hot sterilized jars. To sterilize your jars, first wash them and their lids in warm, soapy water. Submerge the jars and lids in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

To ensure that there are no air bubbles, run a knife through the relish in the jar, or bang the jar against the counter. The relish will keep best if it has as little contact with air as possible.

Keep the unopened jar in a cool, dark place, and once opened, keep refrigerated.

This tomato relish is delectable with very many dishes. It goes especially well with braaied/barbecued/grilled meat and is also great with pasta dishes and in toasted sandwiches. Let the flavor combos go wild! 

If you enjoy making preserves you should also try out my apple chutney.

Print Recipe

Tomato Relish

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Condiment

Serves: 5 small jars (5x 250ml)

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 2 hours – Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

A delectably sweet and spicy tomato condiment that hits all the right notes. Surprisingly easy to make, this relish is the perfect homemade gift that will go with just about anything.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tsp olive oil
• 400g onions, finely chopped (about 3 medium onions)
• 2 chillis, seeded and finely chopped
• 5ml ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1.5kg ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 9 large tomatoes)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup spirit vinegar

Instructions

1

Fry onions in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped chillis, ginger, and garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.

2

Add the chopped up tomatoes and spices and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes begin getting soft.

3

Stir in the vinegar and sugar and leave the mixture to simmer uncovered on the lowest heat, stirring occasionally. In about 1 hour 30 minutes, the mixture should have reduced by about ½, and be thick. If you want it even thicker, continue simmering it. Once the relish has reached your desired consistency, spoon it into hot sterilized jars.

Notes

To sterilize your jars, first wash them and their lids in warm, soapy water. Submerge the jars and lids in a pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. To ensure that there are no air bubbles, run a knife through the relish in the jar, or bang the jar against the counter. The relish will keep best if it has as little contact with air as possible. Keep the unopened jar in a cool, dark place, and once opened, keep refrigerated. This tomato relish is delectable with very many dishes. It goes especially well with braaied meat and is also great with pasta dishes and in toasted sandwiches. Let the flavor combos go wild!