This Tomato Chutney for Canning is sweet, tangy, perfectly spiced and seriously delicious. Made with fresh tomatoes and tested for safe water bath canning, it's one of my favorite ways to preserve summer tomatoes, especially when there's a cheese board in your future.
This homemade tomato chutney recipe is hands-down one of my favorite savory preserves, and once you try it, you'll see why. It's absolutely packed with bold, complex flavor: sweet, tangy, and deeply savory with just the right amount of warm spice. Spiced tomato chutney elevates everything from sausage rolls and grilled cheese to eggs, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards. Think of it as a grown-up, far more flavorful alternative to ketchup, endlessly versatile, easy to make, and perfect for gifting during the holidays or anytime you want to hand someone a jar of something homemade.
This chutney is made with tomatoes, green onions, and bell peppers, along with plenty of vinegar to bring it up to a safe acidity level for water bath canning. Whether you're new to canning for beginners or a seasoned home canner, this canning recipe delivers rich, comforting flavor you'll want to keep stocked in your pantry year-round. Hope you enjoy!
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Why you'll love this tomato chutney.
Bold, complex flavor - A perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory with warm spices in every bite.
Versatile condiment - Delicious on sausage rolls, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, cheese boards, and more.
Better than ketchup - Richer, more grown-up flavor that instantly elevates everyday meals.
Canning-friendly - Tested for safe water bath canning so you can enjoy or gift it year-round.
Perfect for preserving summer tomatoes - A smart, flavorful way to reduce food waste and stretch your garden or farmers market haul.
Beautiful for gifting - A unique homemade preserve that's always a hit during the holidays or as a host gift.
What is water bath canning?
Canning is simply the process of applying adequate heat to high acid food that is sealed in jars for the allotted time necessary to kill off bacteria and micro-organisms that cause food spoilage. During heating, oxygen is driven out of the jars, causing a vacuum seal to form when the jars cool down. This prevents any outside micro-organisms and oxygen from getting back into the food. When done correctly, canning preserves food safely for at least a year, although probably much, much longer.
You can check out my guide on How to Safely Water Bath Can at Home more resources on safe home preserving.
Safe Canning Resources
If you are new to canning you can find great resources, recipes and tutorials at Ball Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
More preserving recipes for you to enjoy.
Equipment
For the Tomato Chutney
- Cutting board and sharp knife: You can also use a food processor to speed up the chopping process.
- Large pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Slotted spoon
For water bath canning
- Mason jars: Make sure the jars are clean and that the lids are brand new. You cannot reuse canning lids.
- Large pot with rack OR Electric Canner: If you only can once in a while using a large pot with a canning rack works just fine. As someone who personally does a lot of canning and I absolutely LOVE my Ball FreshTech Electric Canner.
- Jar lifter: You will need a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water bath.
- Funnel: I personally love this canning funnel because it also allows you to measure the headspace easily.
- Ladle: This Prepworks Canning Scoop is my favorite.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tomatoes: I recommend using Roma tomatoes for this recipe because they're meaty and have less water than many other varieties. However, if you have a garden and a large crop, just about any variety of tomato will work.
- Green onions: Green onions add a mild onion flavor without overpowering the tomatoes and spices.
- Bell peppers: I recommend using red, orange, or yello bell peppers in this recipe for the best flavor. Green bell peppers will also work, but they are less sweet and slightly more bitter so I tend to avoid.
- Red wine vinegar: Adds acidity along with a slightly deeper flavor that works really well in this chutney. Because this is a tested canning recipe, be sure to use vinegar with 5% acidity and don't reduce the amount called for.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity and a subtle fruity flavor. Again, make sure you're using vinegar with 5% acidity for safe canning.
- White granulated sugar: Balances the acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes and gives the chutney its signature sweet and tangy flavor. Don't reduce or substitute the sugar when canning this recipe.
- Salt: Enhances all of the flavors in the chutney. I recommend using canning or pickling salt if you have it on hand.
- Black pepper: Adds a little warmth and spice without making the chutney hot. But feel to omit if preferred.
- Red pepper flakes: Give the chutney just a touch of heat. You can adjust these depending on how spicy you like your chutney.
- Mustard seeds: Add a subtle tangy, earthy flavor and that classic chutney spice. Feel free to omit if these are not your thing.
- Fresh garlic: I highly recommend using fresh garlic rather than pre-minced jarred garlic for the best flavor.
- Lime: Fresh lime adds another layer of bright, citrusy acidity to the chutney. I recommend using fresh rather than bottled lime juice for the best flavor.
- Fresh ginger: Fresh ginger adds warmth and a little zing that works beautifully with the tomatoes and spices. I highly recommend using fresh ginger rather than ground ginger here.
- Celery seeds: Add a subtle savory, slightly earthy flavor that helps round out the spice mixture. Feel free to omit if you don't have any on hand.
Tomato Chutney FAQs
Properly canned and sealed jars will last up to 18 months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks.
No need to peel! The skins break down during the long simmer, and the texture turns out beautifully.
Yes, feel free to tweak the spice level or add extras like chili flakes, mustard seeds, or smoked paprika to suit your taste. Just don't alter the vinegar or sugar amounts for safe canning.
Absolutely! You can refrigerate the chutney in airtight containers for up to 2-3 weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.
It's incredibly versatile! Serve it with sausage rolls, cheese and crackers, roast meats, grilled cheese, or even eggs and hash browns.
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Made this Tomato Chutney recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Tomato Chutney {for canning}
Ingredients
- 3.75 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2.5 cups red wine vinegar
- 3.5 cups white granulated sugar
- 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 5 teaspoon salt
- 2.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 5 lb fresh tomatoes, washed and diced
- 5 bell peppers, washed and diced I recommend using red or orange peppers
- 4 cups green onions, washed and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Wash and prep the vegetables then set aside.
- In a large pot combine vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, pepper, lime juice and zest and all spices. Bring to a boil over high heat then add the tomatoes, peppers and green onions. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook for around 4 hours stirring occasionally until the chutney has thickened and reduced. Once the chutney has thickened you can remove the pan from the heat.At this point you can either spoon the chutney into jars and place them in the fridge or can them using the instructions below
Water bath canning instructions
- Ladle the chutney into mason jars leaving about ¼th to ⅓rd inch of headspace.Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rims.Place on new, clean lids and bands and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (adjusting time for altitude).Turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the warm water for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a towel on the counter (do not place directly on the counter).Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for about 24 hours until all the lids have sealed.Store sealed jars in a cool dry place for 12-18 months for best quality.*Note* If any of the jars do not seal simply store in the refrigerator and consume within 2 weeks.
Allison
How many 8 ounce jars will 1 batch of your tomato jam fill?
The Sudden Cook
Love the idea of tomato chutney! Thank you for a great great recipe.
Andréa Janssen
This looks delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Amy Liu Dong
This is so amazing, and I am so excited to make this recipe at home.
Lianne Macgregor
Friends made this and gifted me a jar. I love chutney and this is the best I've ever eaten. So glad my friends shared the recipe with me!
jamjarkitchen
So glad you liked it!
Lynn Anderson
Love this on burger buns & hot dog buns, what a kick, I put some jalapeño in! ?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Lynn- So glad you like the recipe! Adding a couple jalapenos sounds delicious. 🙂
Lisa
Can you decrease the sugar?
jamjarkitchen
Yes, you can decrease the sugar to your taste. Hope you enjoy!
Rachel
Can you substitute white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar?
jamjarkitchen
Yep! As long as it's at least 5% acidity (most are but if you want to confirm you can check the label) any vinegar will work. Just be sure not to decrease the amount of vinegar to ensure canning safety. Hope you enjoy!
Melissa
You don’t peel the tomatoes first? If not, this is my new favorite recipe!
jamjarkitchen
Nope! No need to peel! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Dave
I've had it at a slow simmer, covered for 3 hours now and I have soup. I have taken the lid off and will continue past the 4 hour mark. Covered or not covered, would be helpful to know.
jamjarkitchen
It needs to be uncovered so that the liquid can evaporate and the chutney will thicken.
Dave
Thank you.
SHERRY
Green Onions are so expensive as out of season here. Could I use finely chopped regular cooking onions?
jamjarkitchen
You can but I would recommend using a milder tasting onion such as shallots or red onion. It will change the flavor a little bit should still be delish 🙂
Jillian Hayes
Hello,
When do you put the lime and lime zest in?
jamjarkitchen
Hi Jillian- You'll add it with the vinegar and spices that you want to bring to a boil before adding the vegetables in. Hope this helps!
June
How many 8 oz jars does this recipe mske?
jamjarkitchen
Hi June - You should get about 7 8oz jars with this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Tess
Hello,
Can this recipe be doubled? Also, while I tend to like things on the spicy-hot side (not burning hot tho), some of my "framily" don't digest spicy (moderately hot) foods well. So, is this recipe considered spicy or spicy-hot? This will determine if I double the recipe or not. It has two of my favorite flavors--spicy and chutney taste, so I know I'll sure be making at least one batch! Also, can this be made in a crockpot, as long as the mixture comes to a boil, then isbrought to a simmer for 4 hours w/the lid off? Thanks!
jamjarkitchen
Hi there! Yes, this recipe can absolutely be doubled—just be sure to give it a little extra time to simmer and reduce if you're making a larger batch.
As for the spice level, it does have a bit of a kick, but I wouldn't call it super spicy. If you're cooking for folks who are sensitive to heat, you can simply leave out the red pepper flakes or reduce the amount. It's still delicious without the extra heat!
And yes, you can definitely make this in a crockpot! Just make sure the mixture comes to a boil first, then simmer it with the lid off until it's reduced to the consistency you like. The flavors will still develop beautifully.
Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Kat
Ugh, so disappointed. There is SO much vinegar it’s nearly inedible and water. Not sure what the other folks did differently. A waste of beautiful tomatoes I grew
jamjarkitchen
Kat, I’m so sorry to hear the chutney didn’t turn out how you hoped, especially with those gorgeous homegrown tomatoes! If it tasted too vinegary and watery, that usually means it just needed more time to cook down and thicken. If you still have the jars, you can absolutely pour it back into a pot and simmer it longer until it reduces. It should mellow and balance out nicely. Hope this helps!
Cristina Ford
I followed the recipe fairly closely, just leaving off 1/2 cup of sugar. The recipe says it makes 7 half pints, but I got exactly 6 pints! Did I possibly not evaporate enough? It tastes great by the way.
jamjarkitchen
Hi Cristina- Yes, you probably just didn’t cook it down as much as I usually do. I tend to cook mine for a long time so it really thickens up and the vinegar mellows out. But if you’re happy with the flavor and got more jars out of it, that’s a win too!
Marlene
The ingredients in your recipe sound fantastic. I don't want to can. Is it possible to scale down to just a few jars? Would love a recipe accordingly.
jamjarkitchen
Hi Marlene - You can definitely decrease the amount of chutney. Just divide the ingredients by half and that should give you a few jars, or you could take it down to 1/4th if you wanted an even smaller batch. Hope you enjoy!