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Tomato relish is what you make in February when the garden has produced more tomatoes than any household can eat, and it’s what sits on the shelf until the following summer getting steadily better. It’s on the cheese sandwich, next to the sausages, and in the mince pie.
Makes about 5 × 350 ml jars. Two days, but only about an hour of actual work.
Salt the tomatoes overnight
This is the step that separates good relish from a watery one, and it’s why the recipe takes two days.
Tomatoes are more than 90% water. Layer them with the onions and salt, leave them overnight, and a surprising amount of liquid draws out — you’ll pour off a cup or more. That’s water you would otherwise have to boil away, and boiling it away means an hour of extra cooking that dulls the flavour and darkens the colour.
Don’t rinse after draining. The salt that’s left is part of the seasoning.
The vinegar and sugar aren’t just flavour
They’re the preservation. Relish keeps a year in a cupboard because the combination of acidity and sugar concentration makes it inhospitable to spoilage organisms.
Which means: don’t reduce the sugar or the vinegar to taste. You can adjust spices freely, but the vinegar-to-sugar-to-fruit ratio is doing a food safety job. A “healthier” low-sugar relish needs to live in the fridge and be eaten within a month.
Malt vinegar is the traditional New Zealand choice and gives the familiar flavour. Cider vinegar is milder and fruitier. White vinegar is sharpest and keeps the colour brightest.
How you know it’s set
Drag a wooden spoon across the base of the pan. If it leaves a channel that holds for a couple of seconds before the relish flows back, it’s done. If liquid rushes straight in, keep going.
It also thickens noticeably as it cools, so stop slightly before it looks right rather than after. Over-reduced relish goes claggy and dark.
Expect 45 minutes to an hour of simmering after the initial boil.
Sterilise the jars properly
Wash them in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry them in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. Boil the lids separately for 5 minutes — oven heat can perish the seals.
Fill the jars while both the relish and the jars are hot. Hot relish into a cold jar can crack it; cold relish into a hot jar won’t form a proper seal. Fill to within 1 cm of the top, wipe the rim, and seal immediately. You should hear the lids pop as they cool.
Leave it a month
This is the hardest instruction to follow. Fresh relish tastes sharp and the spices sit separately from each other. A month in the cupboard and it rounds out completely — the vinegar softens, the spices marry, the whole thing settles.
It’s noticeably better at three months than at three days. Make it in February and open it at Easter.
Frequently asked questions
Why salt the tomatoes overnight?
To draw out water. Tomatoes are over 90% water, and salting overnight removes a cup or more that you would otherwise have to boil away. Less boiling means better colour and fresher flavour.
How long does homemade tomato relish keep?
A year in a cool dark cupboard, sealed. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use within two months.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Not if you want it shelf stable. The sugar and vinegar together are what preserve it. A reduced-sugar version has to live in the fridge and be eaten within a month.
Which vinegar is best?
Malt vinegar for the traditional New Zealand flavour. Cider vinegar is milder and fruitier; white vinegar is sharpest and keeps the brightest colour.
How do I know when relish is ready?
Drag a spoon across the base of the pan. If the channel holds for a couple of seconds before filling in, it’s done. It thickens further as it cools, so err on the side of slightly loose.
Do I need to peel the tomatoes?
No. The skins soften completely over an hour of simmering and they carry flavour and pectin. Peeling is a lot of work for no gain here.
Can I use green tomatoes?
Yes — that’s a green tomato relish, and it’s the classic use for the end-of-season fruit that never ripened. Same method, and it’s firmer and tangier. Add an extra 1/4 cup sugar.
Why does my relish taste harsh?
It’s too young. Fresh relish is sharp and the spices sit apart. Give it a month in the cupboard and it rounds out completely.
How do I sterilise jars?
Wash in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. Boil the lids separately — oven heat can damage the seals. Fill hot relish into hot jars.
Variations
- Green tomato relish — use green, unripened tomatoes and add 1/4 cup extra sugar. Firmer, tangier, and the traditional way to use the end of the crop.
- Smoky — 1 Tbsp smoked paprika with the other spices.
- Chilli tomato — two fresh red chillies, finely chopped, with the onions.
- Tomato and apple — replace 500 g of the tomatoes with peeled diced apple for a sweeter, thicker relish.
- No curry powder — leave it out for a plainer relish that lets the tomato through. Less traditional, and some people prefer it.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hourminutes |
| Servings |
x 350 ml jars
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- 2 kg ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 500 g onions finely diced
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 2 cups malt vinegar 500 ml
- 2 cups sugar 440 g
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 Tbsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 2 Tbsp cornflour
Ingredients
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- **Day one.** Layer the chopped tomatoes and onions in a large bowl, sprinkling the salt through as you go. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.
- **Day two.** Tip into a colander and drain thoroughly, pressing gently. Discard the liquid — there will be a lot. Don't rinse.
- Put the drained tomatoes and onions into a large heavy-based pot with the vinegar and sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Reduce to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until visibly thickened and reduced.
- Meanwhile, sterilise the jars: washed, rinsed, and dried in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. Boil the lids separately for 5 minutes.
- Mix the curry powder, mustard powder, ginger, cayenne, flour and cornflour with just enough cold water to make a smooth thin paste — about 1/2 cup. Whisk it into the relish.
- Simmer a further 15–20 minutes, stirring more often now so it doesn't catch, until a spoon dragged across the base leaves a channel that holds for a couple of seconds.
- Ladle the hot relish into the hot jars, filling to within 1 cm of the top. Wipe the rims and seal immediately.
- Cool completely, label with the date, and **leave at least a month before opening.**
Prep time: plus overnight salting