Hi Janie, I had a look at Nigel Slater's recipe and he cooked his for just one hour, although he added some red tomatoes, too. The picture illustrated doesn't look very much like chutney to me but just cooked veg !!
Now that your chutney has cooled a bit, has it thickened up any more?
I think Jan maybe right with them being juicier, I wonder why yours is so runny ..... have a look at Nigel's ingredients, was your list like his?
Did you wash your tomatoes beforehand, and were they still wet?
Sorry to ask so many questions, Janie, just trying to work out what the problem is.
When I made red pepper and tomato chutney a couple of weeks back, the recipe told me to simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours it was still totally liquid so I just kept going. In the end it was 5 hours in total before I thought the consistency was right. The end result is just fine. So trust your instincts and cook it as long as you think it needs -- there shouldn't be any "free" vinegar in it. A recipe is only a guide, and it will vary according to how ripe/juicy your veg is, how slow your simmer, the size and shape of the pan ...
It does thicken a little when it cools, but if it's still liquid I would cook it some more. According to Fiona, who knows more about chutney making than I do, if you cook it long and slowly, it doesn't need to mature so long in the jars before you eat it.
I leave my green tomato chutney for 10 months at least and it tastes great then. Any sooner and it knocks you back with the vinegar. Try using a slow cooker with the lid off if you are afraid of burning it.
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