Easy Addictive Tomato Chutney Recipe For Canning or Freezing
This recipe for sweet and spicy tomato chutney is hands-down everyone’s favorite condiment on meat, vegetables, sandwiches, and more (like dipping fries!). It’s the first thing on my list to make a year’s worth of when tomatoes are in season – we NEVER want to run out of this tomato chutney! Choose from the classic recipe or the lower-sugar version (that may be even better).
✩ What readers are saying…
“My 1st time making chutney, WOW!!! Must say, very easy recipe and I looked at lots before deciding on yours. This chutney is so very delicious, I’m sure it won’t last long, this will be a tomato season staple.” -Wendylou
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Most people I talk to don’t have much experience with chutney except for the occasional visit to an Indian restaurant. They aren’t sure if it is something they would eat or what they would eat it with.
I was totally this way, too – I mean I knew about chutney, but I don’t think I’d actually ever tasted it before making my first chutney, Spicy Rhubarb Chutney, after growing a bumper crop of rhubarb and looking for a way to preserve it. It was a revelation when served with pork and we were hooked on chutney from then on.
The same thing happened with tomatoes – if I hadn’t had a heap of tomatoes left over after canning all the salsa and freezing the marinara sauce we’d need for the next year, I may have never decided to try tomato chutney.
And my life would’ve been sadder for it (and that’s not an exaggeration, just truth).
When I found a small batch recipe and adapted it to our tastes (safely – see note below), the result was history – for our family at least!
A Lower Sugar Tomato Chutney
If you’ve seen any vintage canning recipes, one thing you may have noticed is they often include large amounts of sugar. And the original tomato chutney recipe I found was no exception, so I lessened the amount of sugar along with a few other changes to seasonings and flavors. We loved it and I made it for many years that way.
Safety Note: By the way, it’s perfectly safe to cut sugar (or substitute dry seasonings, etc.) from a canning recipe that also calls for vinegar as the sugar is used for flavor and texture.
But even the adapted recipe still used quite a bit of sugar and as our family moved towards a more healthy, whole foods lifestyle, I started to feel that it was just too much sugar in the tomato chutney. I mean, while we loved it, if I could lower the sugar and not notice, wouldn’t that be a good thing?
So I tested it and after a couple of so-so batches (still OK, but not the same), I hit upon a ratio that not only cuts the total sugar in half, but also uses a combination of brown sugar and honey instead of white sugar – and tastes just as good (maybe better?).
You’ll find both the original chutney and the lower sugar option amounts in the recipe card below – try both and see which you like better!
What do you eat tomato chutney with?
Some readers have asked how we use this chutney. I usually say, “what don’t we use it on?” But then suggest things like:
- Scrambled eggs.
- Frittatas (SO good).
- French fries, roasted potatoes, homefries.
- Burgers.
- Grilled and baked meat and poultry.
- Indian curries like Chicken Lentil Curry with Vegetables.
- Roasted and grilled vegetables.
- Grilled cheese or any cheese sandwich (a classic sandwich from the British isles is tomato chutney and cheese).
- Topping goat cheese or warmed brie.
- …the list goes on.
It’s basically an “adult ketchup” and anything you’d use ketchup on is a million times better with this chutney.
Yep, a million. (Again, not an exaggeration.)
If you’re still unsure about chutney, like I was, I encourage you to give this tomato chutney recipe a try because it’s so good you’ll be ruined forever for using regular ketchup, just like the hundreds of comments and 5-star ratings!
Ingredients
There’s nothing fancy about the ingredients needed to make this chutney, but when it all comes together you’d never guess the humble beginnings. Here are some ingredient notes:
- Salt: You will need to use a salt with no additives like canning & pickling salt, or a pure fine sea salt.
- Vinegar – I prefer apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar will work, too.
- Sugar – You’ll use brown sugar for both the regular and low sugar recipes, as well as cane sugar for the regular which you’ll substitute with (a lot less) honey in the low sugar version.
- Raisins – most chutneys include this ingredient (see my trick for dealing the the least appealing part of using raisins below), but you can see in the photo above that you can substitute chopped dates and they work just as well. Other substitutes that readers have used are dried cranberries and dried currants (which are smaller and tarter than raisins).
- Spices: You’ll need ground ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes (you can save a lot if you buy pepper flakes in a larger container like this – and then you’ll have flakes to make things like this honey-sweetened Sweet Chili Sauce, too!). Note: You can only use dried ginger if canning – it’s not safe to add fresh ingredients to a canning recipe. You can also add any other dried spices you’d like.
Supplies
- 6-quart pot for single recipe, 8-quart or larger stock pot for double (I’m using a 12-quart pot with a glass lid in the pictured doubled recipe – it can also work as a small-batch water canner if you add a rack to the bottom like you can see in the video for this rhubarb chutney recipe).
- Knife and cutting board (a food processor helps a LOT, though).
- Stainless steel ladle, spoon, and canning jar funnel (please don’t use plastic with hot liquids).
For Canning: Gather 5 half-pint mason jars and a water bath canner – this stainless steel canner with a glass lid has change for my preserving life forever.
See my favorite canning and preserving supplies here for more recommendations.
For Freezing: you can use the same mason jars (they are freezer safe) or other freezer container of your choice.
Make this Easy Tomato Chutney Recipe: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prep tomatoes. Peel, core, and chop OR just quarter, core and roughly chop in a food processor (See the note below). However you prep the tomatoes, place them in an 2-quart measuring cup as they are ready so you can measure out the 7 cups you need for the recipe. Then add them to a large stock pot.
TIP: Another thing that’s nice about using a food processor for the tomatoes is that you can then use it to chop the garlic and raisins quickly and add it to the pot.
Step 2: Prep other ingredients. Once the tomatoes are in the pot, simply prep and add the other ingredients to the pot.
LIME TIP: The lime zest and juice may be one of the ingredients that puts this over the top – don’t be tempted to leave it out! You can zest the lime right into the pot using a microplane grater – I use it all the time in my kitchen. Then juice the lime by hand or with a lemon-lime squeezer.
Tomato Note: I used to peel (see my quick peel technique here), core and chop the tomatoes, but now I simply core and quarter them before adding them to a food processor to chop fine, peels and all. #lifechanging
You do NOT need to peel the tomatoes if you chop with a food processor – the processor chops them fine enough that you will not notice them (and I’ve done a lot of searching and cannot find anything but hearsay about peels not being “safe” for canned foods – it has always been mentioned by the USDA that removing skins is strictly for texture). Wash the tomatoes well, core, and you’re good to go (if you chop by hand, you will need to peel, though, because the peels will be too big).
Step 2b: Raisins Trick. The part of chutney I wasn’t thrilled about is that raisins get all plump and squishy when they’re cooked and that’s not my favorite thing. But they are a crucial ingredient to most chutneys, so my solution is to simply chop them in the food processor and voila – no more fat, squishy raisins! You’ll want to measure the raisins before chopping, though.
Step 3: Bring to a boil. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, heat the contents to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring often (it can burn on the bottom if you’re not careful). I use a lid when bringing the contents to a boil and then remove the lid and lower heat to reduce the chutney.
NOTE: I usually always make a double batch, so the photos feature a 12-quart pot. This recipe is so good I can’t even think about making a single batch anymore!
Step 4: Reduce the chutney. Your chutney will need to simmer for a few hours to reduce and thicken, with you stirring occasionally. Here’s what the chutney will look like as it cooks down:
At the one-hour mark. The chutney should have reduced in volume by 1/8 to 1/4 and thickened a bit.
At the two-hour mark. After cooking for a little over 2 hours, it is rich and thick and, as you can see, reduced almost by half. If you started with very juicy tomatoes or are doubling the recipe you may need to cook longer – it’s okay to cook this as long as needed to reach the consistency you like.
You can use the chutney as soon as it’s cooked, though it does get better with time, I think. Refrigerate in airtight glass jars or read on for preserving options.
How to Preserve Tomato Chutney
To preserve your tomato chutney you can choose to:
- CAN: Water-bath can the chutney for shelf-stable storage up to 18 months.
- FREEZE: Let it cool a bit before transferring to freezer-safe containers for up to a year.
- REFRIGERATE: Store for 1-2 months if you think you can eat it in that time frame or you made a smaller batch.
Canning with a Boiling-Water Canner
To have the convenience of it ready to go on the shelf, as well as a year-and-a-half storage life, canning is really an easy option.
Safety Note: As with any canned recipe (especially tomatoes), this recipe is based on a published, tested recipe with an acid-ratio balance that is safe for room temperature storage. You can NOT add fresh peppers in place of dried in this recipe or fresh ginger and then can it – it will not be safe. You are free to freeze it, though, if you want to use fresh peppers or ginger.
If you’ve water-bath canned before, you know how easy it can be and if you haven’t, I made this video tutorial that walks you through the simple steps:
To can this tomato chutney recipe, follow these simple steps:
- Wash and keep six to seven half-pint canning jars (or 3 pints) warm.
- Prepare your canner and the other equipment you’ll need as described here in the written tutorial for step-by-step water-bath canning.
- Ladle the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.
- Secure the lids on with the screw bands and place in the canner.
- When the water comes to a roiling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half pints and 15 minutes for pints. (This is for sea-level – see the recipe card for how much time to add if you’re at elevation.)
- When the timer goes off, turn the burner off, remove lid and let jars sit for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the jars to a towel-lined surface and leave undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Remove rings, checking lid for seal, label and store in a cool, dark place.
Your chutney is now good for 18 months – but I seriously doubt it will last that long!
RACK TIP: I am using a flat canning rack like this – I can fit more of the half-pint sized jars in the canner than with the standard divided rack. I LOVE it – plus the smaller jars don’t fall over like they did with all the extra room in the racks meant for quart jars.
Got green tomatoes at the end of the season? Make Green Tomato Chutney! It’s delicious also, with a smokey, tangy flavor that pairs well with the things above that the red tomato chutney does.
A Few of The Many Reader Raves
“This chutney is insanely great! Yum! I can’t recommend this recipe enough. I made it and in our house hold of 5 people we are down to our last jar in 4 days.” – Jen
“All I can say to anyone who is reading this recipe is “YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS!” My husband found your site last year and we tried this recipe, and have been making it on repeat this summer as the romas ripen. We are totally addicted, as is everyone we have gifted a jar to try.” -Barb
“I recently posted that your bruschetta recipe was the best. Your tomato chutney is just as amazing. I agree with all the reviews you have received. Everyone who tried it was blown away. I am making double batches of both while tomatoes are abundant.” -Linda
“I found it hard to believe this was as good as everyone said, but it was and then some. So easy and so delicious. I had a hard time staying out of it while it cooked down.” -Gaea
Recipes that Pair Well With Tomato Chutney
- Smashed Garlic Pub Burgers (and don’t forget to dip those fries, too)
- Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions Sheet Pan Dinner
- Easy Lemon-Garlic Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
- Quick Sausage & Kale or Swiss Chard Frittata Recipe
- Easy Potato And Caramelized Onion Frittata Recipe
- Easy Grilled Vegetables
If you make this, be sure to let me know what you like to use it on and leave a rating and review to let us all know how you like it!
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Easy Addictive Tomato Chutney Recipe (Can or Freeze)
Equipment
- Food Processor, knife & cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 6 to 8-quart stock pot
- Canner and canning jars (use the jars for freezing, too)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped*
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup minced garlic (about a medium sized head)
- 1/2 cup raisins, (chopped in processor)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, (LOWER SUGAR VERSION: 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup white sugar (LOWER SUGAR VERSION: Use only 1/4 cup honey – no white sugar)
- 1½ cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon canning salt or pure sea salt
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 to 3 teaspoons hot pepper flakes or to taste**
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the tomatoes, chopping either by hand or with a food processor: Core and quarter the tomatoes and add them – unpeeled – in batches to a food processor, whirring until evenly chopped (fairly fine). Alternately, core, peel and chop the tomatoes by hand. You should have 7 cups of chopped/pureed tomatoes.
- Combine the tomatoes and all the remaining ingredients in a heavy, nonreactive 4-6 quart pot (if doubling the recipe, use an 8 to 12-quart stockpot).
- Bring to a boil over high heat (I cover the pot to help it boil faster), then lower heat and cook at a low simmer, uncovered (just a few bubbles here and there) for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until thickened.*** Stir often as it thickens to prevent scorching.
- To Can: Prepare water-bath canner, lids and jars. (Refer to this complete water-bath tutorial here.)
- Ladle the chutney into 1/2 pint canning jars leaving 1/4" headspace and attach the two-piece canning lids. Transfer to canner as you fill and seal.
- Once all the jars are added, bring the canner to a boil for 10 minutes (half-pints – 15 minutes for pints), adjusting heat as needed to keep a medium boil (not too hard).
- When timer goes off, turn off burner, remove lid and let jars sit for 5 minutes before removing the jars to a towel-lined surface to cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and store in a dark, cool place.
- To Freeze: Ladle into freezer-safe containers (canning jars are okay to freeze), label and store in the freezer up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Your Questions Answered
Yes, you can! Weigh your frozen tomatoes to get the 4 pounds and then let them thaw enough to slip off the peels, roughly chop, and add straight to the pot (no need to process or chop small as they will disintegrate more than fresh).
If you think the chutney is too vinegary, here are my suggestions: don’t taste until it’s cooked all the way down; let the chutney sit for a few weeks before trying, or add more sugar – but DON’T reduce the vinegar if you’re canning.
Process pint size jars for 15 minutes (still use a 1/4-inch headspace).
Yes. Use as many cans as needed for 7 cups of tomatoes. Used diced as-is and roughly chop whole tomatoes before measuring the 7 cups.
It is safe to use lemon (or lime juice) in place of vinegar in home canning recipes, as lemon and lime juice are more acidic than vinegar. This will obviously impact the flavor, though.
Yes, or try chopped dates or dried currants (smaller and tarter than raisins).
Yes, you can use any kind of ripe tomato.
More Tomato Recipes To Try
- Garden Harvest Roasted Tomato Sauce – Eat Fresh or Freeze for Later
- Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce {Freezer Friendly}
- Water-Bath Safe Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published August 2009. The original and low sugar version (published in 2012) were also combined into this one recipe.
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
I have never tasted a chutney before, but this sounded so good. And it was! Very tasty!
I’m so glad you liked it!
This is truly amazing. As an Australian I grew up eating chutney and since moving to the US have really missed it. This was my first attempt making it myself (my wife is usually the cook) and we can’t get enough of it. Thanks!
Thank you – I’m so glad it’s allowing you to enjoy chutney again!
Year 3 of making this absolutely delicious recipe! I’ve made it with good tomatoes, and marginal end-of season tomatoes that I roasted first. I previously commented that I would try with canned if I was desperate but haven’t done that yet. I just used the last inch of the last can that was lost in the back of the fridge to add to something I was cooking and it was the flavour that made the dish. Like you suggested I use the food processor for the tomatoes, and then leave a bit behind to help process the raisins and garlic. I’ve cut back a bit on the garlic and boosted the raisin content, and have also used some fresh ginger in addition to the dried (they are different kinds of ginger and have different flavours) in various batches all with great success. So looking forward to 2018’s batches!
Love this, Natasha! You do need to be careful in adding fresh ingredients not in the recipe like the ginger, though – it would mess with the ratios for safely canning (though it can always be frozen).
I really can’t tell you how much I love this recipe! When we have it on hand I tend to cook food that will go with it, and love to have it with yogurt on the side to go with a potato/rice/grain stir-fry/hash. While I love garlic, I’m not crazy about how the flavour turns out when it isn’t fried in oil. I’m going to try poaching the garlic cloves in olive oil for 5-10 mins on low to mellow them before adding to the food processor (I do this for hummus). I love the brightness that fresh ginger adds, and while I like the flavour of dried ginger it can be a bit “hot” without being bright. Thank you so much for your terrific website and generous sharing of your wonderful recipes! Planning to make the fermented corn relish tonight! Made the carrot relish yesterday and it was delicious! I’ll leave a review of both soon. Thanks again!
Oh, you’re so welcome, Natasha – this makes me so happy that you love this, too. AND are finding other recipes!
We were participating in a potato Latke cooking event and needed a topping. We used your recipe – cooking it the morning of the event. It was a simple process and the combination of ingredients was very flavorful. Our team was made up of home cooks and with our secret ingredient in the Latke and your fabulous chutney, we won people’s choice (overall winners) of the event!
Thank you for posting this recipe! My wife wants to know why I’ve never made it at home, so I’m sure I’ll be making this for years to come!
Yay – how fun! Thanks for letting me know this, David, it’s like I won it with you. 😉
Fabulous! I had a lot of cardamon pods so put a couple tablespoons+\-, tied in cheesecloth and simmered it with the batch. I also put in 1/2 teaspoon of Garam masala and used 3 big slices of fresh peeled ginger root. Great flavor! I think I’ll try it today on a grilled green chile turkey burger. Thanks for the inspiration! We had so many tomatoes here this year I’d gotten tired of making sauce, oven roasting and smoking tomatoes. This adds a nice new option!
Those sound like great additions, Danita – I’m glad you liked how it turned out!
So excited to have found your recipe! Just got back from England where I had a delicious cheese and tomato chutney sandwich and now I can try to make them at home 🙂
Yay! I add the tomato chutney to cheese paninis all the time, it is SO good.
I’m new to canning and have never had a chutney before and this looked like a fun addition to the kitchen. I decided to double the recipe due to the high volume of tomatoes I have and the versatility of the condiment. I use an app called paprika that amongst other really awesome stuff, scales the recipe for the user. I didn’t give the amount of vinegar a second thought when it told me to use three cups, because I remembered seeing the 1-1/2 on the original and when using other 1/2 measurements for teaspoons of stuff, it was just the 1/2. Now I’m an hour in to simmering a product I have no familiarity with, so I decided to taste it, and it’s very acidic. Am I now analyzing it correctly in that it was meant to be a singular 1/2 cup, or have I prepped it right and am safe to can? Is there anything I can do to fix my issue if it is too much vinegar or is it a bad batch? Thanks for your time and help!
Nope, 1 and 1/2 cups is the right amount, so double would be 3 cups. Not sure why it’s acidic tasting, though – wondering if a sugar measurement wasn’t right?
I wonder if because it was a double batch and it was only on hour one of the four hour reduction process that the vinegar hadn’t had the opportunity to reduce and was more prominent at that point. I continued with the recipe and augmented the flavor profile as I went and it turned out great. Thanks for providing me with fun and easy recipes so I can add a bit of variety to the pantry over the winter. I’ve done the roasted green tomatoe salsa as well and my brothers loved it. You’re approach gave me the confidence I needed to finally figure this canning thing out.
Ughhh, I spelled *your* wrong. Sorry, it’s late….
Gosh, that makes me so happy to hear, Jacob, since my number one goal is to encourage you to try your hand at things – yay for you!!
Do I have to add raisins? I really detest raisins! I know canning is a science, and I don’t want to need anything up. Thanks!
So, here’s the thing Janette – you can certainly leave them out, that’s one of the benefits I see of making our own stuff. But I do think there’s something in the raisins as they cook that adds to the chutney (traditional chutneys usually have them). I’ve never liked the swollen raisins in some chutney’s however, so I do tell you to process them first to mince them. After cooking you will not notice them – at least I don’t.
What I would suggest is making a half batch with the minced raisins and half without and you decide which you like best. 🙂
Oh, I just realized you were thinking maybe they needed to be included to be canned safely – they are just for flavor!
Thank you, Jami! Another question, how strong is the ginger flavor? I’m very intrigued by this recipe! My neighbor gave me a bunch of tomatoes and I’m trying to find new and different recipes to can. Thanks!
It’s not strong at all, Janette – this is one of those recipes where all the flavors mingle into a wonderful whole! You can’t taste lime, for example, or ginger, you just taste chutney. 🙂
I use dried cranberries minced in my little Ninja professional to a paste and the result was outstanding, as I cannot stand raisins so didn’t have any on hand. I always use dried cranberries whenever a recipe calls for raisins.
I made this October and there was nothing left by mid-November. I miss it so much I’m seriously thinking of making it with canned tomatoes. And more raisins.
I’ve never tried that, Natasha, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 😉
I’m just finishing this recipe in a water bath now and the taste is terrific! I used 4lbs of marginally ripe (red but ripened inside) home-grown toms, and since I couldn’t find the honey I thought I had I just used more brown sugar. I used a regular sized food processor and blitzed the garlic and raisins until nicely processed then added the quartered onions and pulsed until slivered/minced. I also used a couple of tsps fresh ginger and cut the dried in half. I separated a 2-jar portion into another saucepan before adding chilies for the “not hot” version. This recipe gave me 5 half-pint jars for canning and one for the fridge. So looking forward to using this! Thanks for the terrific recipe and lower-sugar update!
So glad you like this Natasha – it’s still our family’s favorite! Love your idea for the not-hot version, too.
Hi Jami, just wondering if I can thicken this a little with some cornflour and cider vinegar
It smell and tastes amazing but a little on the thin side
Hi Velda! This is like no-pectin jam or tomato sauce- the longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. 🙂 It’s not safe to add cornflour/cornstarch to canned recipes, but if you were only freezing, you could do that.
Just finished making up 2 batches. I love it. It wont last long in this saskatchewan cottage.
It never lasts long here, either, Gayle – unless I make a TON that is. 🙂
I would like to can this in pint jars, how long should I process?
Whenever I do pints, Maggi, I process for 15 minutes, just to be safer. 🙂
We tried this recipe yesterday with the surplus of tomatoes we had. Wonderful!! I would consider my husband and I both “foodies”. We usually have to tweak every new recipe. This is beyond awesome. Only thing is we had to cook it longer. Soooooo yum!!! Thank you!!
Hi, can you tell me, can you make this frozen tomatoes, which I peeled and cored from my garden this summer, how many cups would this be? How long do you think this will last being stored in dark cool place
Thanks Kathy
I don’t know, Kathy, I haven’t made it with frozen tomatoes. Let us know the ratios if you try it. The recommendation for homecanned goods has always been about a year to two years depending on what it is. Ours is usually gone after a year, though I think one year it was year and a half.
I looked and looked for a tomato relish recipe and finally decided on your relish…. and I am so glad I did because it was simply awesome!
Yeah! So glad you like it as much as we do, Susan!
Thanks a bunch for this recipe. It turned out awesome
Thanks for the recipe. We had a killing frost here in Colorado so all this year’s tomatoes had to come in. I’ve made Tomato Jam before, but I was looking to do chutney this time. A question about acid ratios. I used .25 cup less sugar and .50 cup less vinegar because I wanted the tomato to come through a bit more. With 1 cup of vinegar and the lime, do you think I have enough acid to be shelf safe? These were processed 20 minutes because of our altitude. I should probably also note that I used fresh chilis and ginger.
Hey, Carol! I don’t usually fiddle with the acid-to-fresh-vegetable ratio, as that’s been tested. Unless I do a straight across (using peppers instead of onions, for example) or lessening the fresh vegetables entirely. Using less sugar and different or more dried herbs doesn’t affect acid (which I did in the updated, lower sugar version- which I just saw I never linked to here…adding that right away!). And the lime is fresh, so acid levels will vary. So for me, I wouldn’t ever lower the vinegar, especially if I were adding fresh (in this case the chilies and ginger). Hope that helps!
Just found this recipe and noticed that several people don’t like raisins in their chutney. Try dried currants instead – they’re smaller and tarter than raisins. I love them!
We used yesterday’s batch on hot dogs. I got five 12 ounce jars. I was surprised by how sweet it is.