This Green Tomato Ketchup easily outshines the red supermarket variety. It delivers a full-bodied, tangy-sweet flavour with a gentle chilli kick and bright spice notes.
The green tomatoes in this recipe are those stubborn fruits left on the vine at the end of the season that never ripen. They are firmer and less sweet than ripe red tomatoes, which makes them a distinctive ingredient rather than a direct substitute.
These unripe tomatoes are a seasonal treasure. This ketchup transforms them into a delicious preserve that keeps the harvest alive long after the growing season is over, and replaces the processed red ketchup that so often takes up space in the fridge.
Why You’ll Love This Green Tomato Ketchup
- Uses up those green tomatoes left at the end of the season that never ripen.
- Full-bodied flavour that’s both tangy and sweet with a gentle chilli kick.
- Enhances the food you serve it with rather than overpowering it.
If you still have a load of green tomatoes after making this ketchup try a Green Tomato and Stem Ginger Streusel Cake — unusual but surprisingly good.
Ingredient list
- Green tomatoes – those left on the vine that didn’t ripen.
- Bramley apple – adds texture and fruity acidity.
- White onion – for depth of flavour.
- Green chilli – keep the seeds for heat or remove them for a milder sauce; omit entirely for children.
- Fresh ginger – a punchy flavour element.
- Spices – mixed spice, fennel seeds, ground coriander and a star anise for complexity.
- Cider vinegar – provides tang and helps preserve the ketchup.
- White sugar – balances acidity and aids preservation.
There’s one more special ingredient:
- Sherry – a splash at the end adds a cheeky, rounded note. Fino works well, but use a sweeter style if you prefer.
How do you make Green Tomato Ketchup?
For full recipe quantities and timings, see the recipe card below.
- Put all ingredients except the sherry into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a medium simmer and cook for about 50–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes and apple have broken down.
- Stir in the sherry.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until completely smooth.
- Return the puree to the saucepan and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes until it reaches a thick, ketchup-like consistency.
- Decant immediately into sterilised bottles while hot and seal.
Tips and Troubleshooting
You can remove chilli seeds for a milder sauce. Cider vinegar can be substituted with white wine vinegar if preferred.
After blending, simmer the ketchup until it thickens to your liking — this can take up to 20 minutes. Use clean, sterilised bottles and new lids to avoid contamination.
Unopened and stored in a cool, dark place, the ketchup will keep for up to 6 months (some recipes report longer shelf life when stored correctly). The ketchup is ready to eat straight away but develops a deeper flavour if left for at least two weeks.
After opening, refrigerate and use within about 1 month.
How do you sterilise the bottles?
- Place very clean glass bottles in an oven preheated to 140°C for 20 minutes.
- Sterilise lids by boiling them in water for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar to prevent clouding; avoid putting metal lids in the oven.
Recommended equipment
- Large heavy-based casserole or saucepan
- High-speed blender (or food processor)
- Stainless steel funnel
- Sauce bottles with screw caps
How to serve it
This green tomato ketchup is perfect with fries and sausages, and makes a brilliant sandwich condiment. It also pairs well with roasted or fried fish, shepherd’s pie, quiche, cauliflower cheese, sausage rolls and other comfort dishes.
Homemade preserve recipes you’ll love
- Homemade Brown Sauce
- Plum BBQ Sauce
- Blackberry Hoisin Sauce
- Plum and Beetroot Chutney
- Courgette Relish
Green Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
- 1 kg green tomatoes – diced
- 1 large white onion – diced
- 1 large Bramley apple – diced
- 1 green chilli – roughly chopped
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger – chopped
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 star anise
- 200 ml cider vinegar
- 200 g white sugar
- 150 ml sherry
Instructions
- Grind the fennel seeds and star anise until fine.
- Put the ground spices and all other ingredients except the sherry into a large saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the sherry, then pour the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth.
- Return the puree to the saucepan and simmer for up to 20 minutes until it reaches a good ketchup consistency.
- Decant into sterilised glass bottles while hot and seal.
Notes
- Adapted from a recipe originally published in the Metro.
- Makes approximately 4 x 250 ml bottles.
- If you want no heat, omit the chilli.
- For the best flavour, weigh ingredients if possible; the recipe was tested using metric measurements.
- Sterilise bottles in a 140°C oven for 20 minutes and boil lids for 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar.
- The ketchup can be eaten straight away but will taste better after a couple of weeks. Properly stored it will keep for several months unopened.
US customary conversions are provided for convenience but metric measurements are recommended for accuracy.
Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on specific ingredients used.