Dr Don's Hot Red Tomato, Pepper and Chilli Chutney

Ingredients:

3 kg red tomatoes, firm

5 to 7 large peppers (1.4 kg)

1 kg onions

100g fresh root ginger, grated

or, 1 to 2 ds ground ginger

228g (8oz) dark Muscovado sugar

500 ml red wine vinegar

2 tubes tomato puree (double concentrated 200g)

1 ds Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt

1 ts allspice

0.5 ds cumin seeds

1 ds coriander seeds

2 ds mustard seeds

12 whole cardamom pods

12 Hot Mexican red chillies

7 large garlic cloves

Preparation:

Cut up the tomatoes into medium sized pieces (2-3 cm) and place in a large preserving pan. Cut the peppers lengthways in half; remove the pith and seeds before slicing into medium sized pieces, add to the pan. Peel and roughly chop the onions, add to the mixture. Add the sugar and grate the ginger on to the mixture in the pan. Peel the garlic and cut-up into small pieces, or crush the garlic if preferred and add to the mixture.

Squeeze the 2 tubes of tomato puree on to the mixture. Select 12 red chillies and carefully slice, or chop them into small pieces before adding them to the mixture.

Dry-roast the cumin, coriander, mustard, cardamom pods and seeds in a small frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Immediately grind in a pestle and mortar and add all of it (including any husks and pods) to the mixture.

Pour the vinegar over the mixture.

Cooking:

Put on the heat and bring to the boil stirring frequently. The gentle simmer for about 2 hours with the pan lid in place. Stir from time to time. Then remove the lid and allow the liquid to almost evaporate continuing to stir from time to time. When the chutney is thick enough turn off the heat and allow cooling for 5-10 minutes before bottling-up in preheated jars (put in the oven at 120C on a metal tray for 20 minutes). Seal the jars when still hot and store for 6-8 weeks to mature, but it can be consumed in a day or two if you can't wait!. Makes 3 - 4 litres of chutney (10 - 12 jars of 330 ml capacity).