Our two year old tamarillo tree (Solanum betaceum), has produced an absolutely bumper first crop. Unfortunately, two out of three members of our household don’t really like fresh tamarillo, but we’re all fans of tamarillo chutney, so Mum and I decided yesterday we’d better do something about that, before the fruit starts to go to waste.
We found two slightly different recipes and combined them.
One of the recipes said to scoop the flesh out with a spoon, the other said to blanch and peel the fruit. Mum thought the blanching method sounded like “too much fiddle faddle” but we soon discovered that it worked a treat, and the scooping method was actually the “fiddly faddly” one!
To blanch, you simply make a small slit in the end of the fruit, put in boiling water for two minutes, then straight into cold water, and the skin peels off easily. Beautiful Autumny colours!
We then combined the cut up tamarillo with the chopped apples and onions, raisins and spices. Mum remembered that the secret ingredient in some amazing chutney she had made some 30 years ago, was cardamom, so we added that to our recipe.
All scraps went to Alice the kunekune pig who thinks chutney making is a great idea!
We added the vinegar and cooked for a while and then added the sugar and cooked for a total of 2 hours, stirring often and filling the house with delicious spicy vinegary smells. (We had to borrow a big cooking pot from our neighbour because we didn’t have one big enough. We’ve now made a deal with her that we can borrow it whenever we are making jam or chutney, and in exchange she’ll get a jar of the finished product!)
And at the end of it all, we have 23 jars of the first tamarillo chutney we’ve ever cooked. Yum! As you can see, I haven’t even had time to make labels yet.
yum!! Ahem, …I’d like to bring it to your attention that 23 is “my” number…my birthdate and all that…so, basically I deserve a jar of the yumminess!
Oh and for being your #1 Fan as well!
Hi Aim! You’re absolutely right, you ARE my number one fan, and 23 IS your number, so ok, I’m convinced! One jar has your name on it! xx
Hi Luce, it’s so good making things from your garden eh?! I got inspired a few days ago and made a feijoa, apple and rhubarb crumble, as I have sooo many feijoas at the moment. I wonder if you could make Tamarillo crumble…maybe the other two members of your household would like that?!
Will you sell some of your chutney? I was thinking the other day whether you had thought about the idea of selling your produce at the local markets…? We have a new one that has just started on Sat mornings on the Peninsula – maybe you should sell some of your chutney there!
Happy cooking, Cer
Hi Cer! I don’t think we’ve got enough chutney to sell! We’ve already polished off a whole jar today (I’m so chuffed with how well it’s turned out), so I don’t think the rest will last very long! ; ) I am just setting up an online store though for selling my Inspiration Cards and other crafty things that I make.
The crumble you made sounds so yummy!
See you Thursday!
Lucy x
Hi Lucy, Was pleased to find your Tamarillo Chutcney recipe. I have just come back from a holiday back home in NZ, got a taste of Tamarillo Chutney, just loved it. Unfortunately the fruit costs $1.78 EACH here in OZ
( obviously I wont be making chutney at that price. We do have a couple of small (3 month old) plants, now about 18 inches high in a sheltered area, do you have any growing tips for us, hopefully so that we can grow our own supply of this delicious fruit. In the mean time I rstrict myself to just one a day with my breakfast.
Any tips would be appreciated
Regards
Gloria
Hi Gloria,
Thanks for your message. Wow, that’s so expensive for tamarillo fruit! It might be because it’s past their season though??
As far as growing the trees yourself, I’m no expert, but here’s the information I have: The main thing is that they are sub-tropical trees (related to tomatoes) so need a warm, sheltered spot where there’s no risk of frost (particularly when they’re young). I’m not sure which part of Australia you’re in, so this might not be an issue anyway. Other than that, they’re pretty easy to grow. They grow really fast too! Good for impatient gardeners like me.
Our tree was only two years old when we harvested all that fruit for making our chutney. You can also grow the trees in a large container as they don’t grow very big. They’ll do best if you feed them every now and then too.
Oh, and one other thing, they are super easy to grow from seed! If you buy a fruit from the shop, simply squeeze the pips into a jar and add water. Leave them to ferment in the water for a few days (don’t screw the lid on tightly). The fermentation kills diseases on the seed. After fermenting for a few days, wash well in a sieve and lay the seeds out to dry on a paper towel. Once they’re dry you can either save the seeds for sowing later, or sow immediate. You can sow them all in one pot, covering the seeds lightly with seed raising mix and gently water them in. I then cover the top of the pot with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture, and then put the pot into the hot water cupboard. The germination rate is usually extremely good (most likely you’ll have a forest of little seedlings!). They should sprout in around 5 days. Once they’ve sprouted, take the pot out of the airing cupboard and keep in a warm, sunny place. You’ll need to pot up the seedlings once they get bigger.
Hope this helps!
I’d love to hear how you get on.
Lucy : )
Thankyou Lucy for all that helpful info. We live in Victoria so will have to watch out for frosts. I am really keen to get this project off the ground and will let you know if I am successful.
Regards, Gloria
thanks for this recipe! We are also in Southern Victoria and have had a successful first crop. I’ve been trying to talk my husband into getting a pig to fatten through the preserving season …
Hi Lucy
I’d lost my fav tamarillo recipe and yours is the nearest to my memory of it. the website I,ve given is actually our daughters I haven’t set mine up yet, but it will be called TopGarden as I’m getting into seedling plants for the folks up here. We do a lot of the stuff you seem to do as we live in the remote Far North and have to make or do our own preserves etc as we have time and no distractions.
arohanui
Jacqui
Hi Lucy
I have just been given a box of tamarillo’s. In looking for a chutney receipe I discovered your site. I’ll let you know how I get on as I am a virgin chutney maker myself.
I’m thinking the guests will enjoy it!
Cheers
Ruthie
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toad-Hall-Backpackers-Hostel-Napier-New-Zealand/151681614869585?created#!/photo.php?fbid=215612795143133&set=pu.151681614869585&type=1&theater
Chutney making went well! Thanks.
All our guests at Toad Hall Backpackers enjoyed it also. Some international guests had not eaten (or heard of) a tamerillo before, so it was great on a couple of levels.
R
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I make tamarillo jam and it taste a little like raspberry jam It is delicious I will try the chutney sounds good also
I’m trying this Tamarillo Chutney as I was given just over a kg. Can’t wait till its done so I can taste it – such a colourful mix!
Good luck, Linda! We’re needing to turn our tamarillos into chutney this week too! Yum! Can’t wait.
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Hi Lucy………This is the second year i have made your tamerillo chutney;but in 2 years my tree has grown from produceing 30 fruit to 300,so i have many batches to make.Every one who trys the chutney loves it so i have spread it around new zealand through visiting friends and relations.A niece is takeing some back to france as well.The best tree growth i found by chance,as mine is planted by a 1.5metre retaining wall.The depth of soil and backfill has resulted in a pruned 3metre tree laden with very large fruit.