So if you've still got lots of tomatoes to 'deal with', yet haven't got the time to slow-roast the tomatoes, then consider this recipe. It takes about half an hour from start to finish, and it makes an excellent addition to cold meats and any other warm savoury dishes during the winter..
My mum's tomato & onion relish
(Sibula-tomatisalat)
1 kg ripe red tomatoes, quartered
500 grams onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
100 grams caster sugar
5 tsp coarse salt
10 black peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1-2 Tbsp vinegar (30%) *
Cut tomatoes into quarters or eights, depending on size, and put into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until tomatoes have gone a bit mushy.
Add the sliced onions, sugar, salt, peppercorns and cloves, and simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes, until onions have started to soften.
Stir in the vinegar, and immediately pour the relish into hot sterilised jars. Close the jars.
Keep in a cool, dark place for a few months.
* The most common vinegar for preserving in Estonia is of 30% strength. You may need to re-adjust the amount for your usual vinegar.
UPDATE 23.10.2007 - my fellow Estonian foodblogger Thredahlia (yes, our future Harold McGee:), claims that you don't need vinegar in this relish at all, as the inherent acidity of tomatoes helps to keep this fresh & good without it. Although I've already reduced the amount of vinegar above, I'll make a vinegar-less batch coming weekend to compare. Thank you, Thredahlia!!
- Follow RecipesDream
- Follow @us