Red Hot Relish Recipe + Him Outside playing on a tractor

Yesterday morning was several degrees cooler, we didn't bother to go to a car boot sale so I decided to get started on this years chutney making.

First on the list was a recipe I do most years, which I concocted from two similar recipes.

Red Hot and Sweet Relish
4lb Plum tomatoes, skinned and rough chopped. ( I used the giant Andine tomatoes, only needed about 10!)
2 Very  Large red peppers, finely chopped
1lb Red onions chopped small
1 - 5 red chillies (depending how hot you want it. I use 2.) de-seeded and finely chopped ( Wear rubber gloves!)
2lb Gran sugar
1 tsp each salt,ground ginger, allspice.
1 pint white vinegar.
( For the best colour this really does need the red onions and white vinegar, and it doesn't work very well with normal tomatoes which have too many seeds and are more watery)


Put everything except the vinegar into a pan.
Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved

 Bring to boil and cook gently for approx 1 hour until thick

I forgot to take a picture of it thickened- this is just after vinegar is added

 Add the vinegar and cook for 30- 50 minutes until thick again.

This picture doesn't show the lovely dark red colour very well

 Put into hot sterilised jars, cover, seal and label

There are 2 problems with this chutney or relish. ( I've never really understood the difference between a chutney and a relish) Firstly it doesn't make very many jars for all the work, although everything except the vinegar,sugar and spices are home grown so doesn't cost too much to make.
Secondly whenever the two oldest children come to stay they ask to take a jar home with them which leaves even less for us!

Meanwhile Him Outside went out to play on a Big(ish) Modern Tractor.
Our farmer friend W. ( he is the one who had to stop farming his land and go to work for someone else because his brother and sister wanted to retire and wanted their share of the farm) asked if HO could do some rolling of fields for the big company that farm everything around us as everyone else was tied up with the harvest and cultivating. He didn't need asking twice!

He is out driving up and down again today.

My long long blog about budgeting resulted in 1 comment! Well that was nearly a waste of time then!
Thanks Pam( and to S for emailing) But I shall not be like poor Scarlet ( The Other Stuff) who has given up blogging, ( I'm sad and will miss reading her blog) I shall carry on regardless!
Back tomorrow
PS Still lovely weather here- look at that blue sky on the tractor pic- beautiful.