Last week, I had a mini-tragedy.
I was eating my way through half-filled jars in the fridge, and finally came to the end of an excellent tomato chutney that I had acquired from Trader Joe’s. I really liked the stuff, and I decided that it was well worth getting a replacement jar. When I went back to the store to do so, I was shocked – SHOCKED! – to find out that they had discontinued it. “We loved it here, but our tastes in the Bay Area don’t always translate to the rest of the country,” the manager said, shaking his head.
I’ve seen people wither into depression after TJ’s sends their favorite product to the graveyard. I was on the verge of a chutney-less meltdown. I assure you that this was a great tomato chutney. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little tangy. I used it to stir fry greens, to serve with curries, and as a chicken marinade. It was good with toast, topped with melted cheese. It was also a great complement to roasted cauliflower. What was I going to do without it?
And then I remembered that I spent the past year working on my friend Karen’s mostly-condiment cookbook, and I could probably make my own version at home. I knew the ingredients (I wrote them down off the back of the jar), and all I had to do with fiddle with the proportions. It couldn’t hurt to try?
After an hour of tinkering, I present to you:
(Not Quite) Trader Joe’s Tomato Chutney
makes about 1.5 cups
time: 40 minutes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (no salt added), with juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 large pinch Maldon salt (or kosher salt)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients and stir well. [I used an immersion blender in the saucepan before cooking to break it down into a chunky paste, but you could wait until after cooking to process in a food processor or blender.]
Bring to a boil (it will bubble and splatter, so be careful!) then turn the heat down to low, and cover. Simmer for thirty minutes, making sure to stir every five to ten minutes, so that the chutney does not stick to the bottom.
Spoon into a glass jar. This is a fresh chutney and should be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. You could probably can it, but I find that it’s so quick to put together, that it’s probably easier to just make a fresh batch when you want it.
I’m still waiting for my blue cheese stuffed olives to make a return to the TJ’s shelf, in between the garlic and jalapeno stuffed ones . My martinis just aren’t the same as they used to be.
I feel your pain! This looks like it would do superbly well on a burger.
that sounds delicious! what do you put it on?
.-= foodhoe´s last blog ..Chef Manny’s tasting menu at Mr Pollo- San Francisco =-.
@Kimberley Oo, yes. I hadn’t even thought of that!
@foodhoe It goes well on everything – two days ago I used it as a condiment on a cheddar/salami sandwich. I’d put it on bread, with any sort of indian food, over eggs, etc.
Thank you for this! I was so broken hearted when they discontinued this condiment. I appreciate the recipe.
Thank you Kate! The biggest flaw of Trader Joe’s is when they discontinue things that I have fallen passionately in love with! I’m still mourning this one, but my recipe is pretty close!
Back around 1999-2000, TJ’s had a different version of tomato chutney that was absolutely superb. In a frenzy of getting married and moving, I donated my last couple of jars to a food bank, only to discover that they had discontinued it! The more recent version that you have replicated here was pretty good, but I remember the original chutney was just amazing. I’m grateful to have your recipe, though, and can’t wait to try it!
i cried when they discontinued this. i used it over fried mini meatballs and garnished with fresh italian parsley and grated parmesean. it was a hit with all of our guests.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I have been missing the tomato chutney for years but this week it has been really bad. I was driven by my craving to the computer to search for a recipe and I found one, Hooray!
I was also a lover of the Trader Joe’s spicy Indian relish. I used to buy it by the case and was heartbroken when it was discontinued. Maybe we could start a petition to encourage Trader Joe’s to reinstate the product? I would place my order for three cases right now!!1
What would you recommend if I wanted to use fresh tomatoes?
This is a great hack! I loved this tjs product and was so bummed when they discontinued it. This recipe made my day! I use it on egg sandwiches in the winter when fresh tomatoes are bad. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe…. simple, easy to make any very tasty.
Thanks, Jim! Haven’t made this is a while, I think I’ll do it this weekend! Glad you enjoyed ◡̈
Thank you so much! I live in Ohio and LOVED Trader Joe’s Tomato Chutney and still don’t understand why they discontinued it…who in the heck wouldn’t love it?! It was just delicious over cream cheese, eaten with crackers or pita crisps…not too sweet and with the perfect amount of spice. But now I will make my own, thanks to you! (I shared your link with my mom, who is the one who introduced the original Trader Joe version to me!)