aka the Baby tomato smoor!
Cherry tomatoes are close to perfect for pickling and relish making because there is almost no waste. Wash them, slice them and into the pot they go. There is no peeling and no chopping of bits off. Compare that with most other vegetables or fruit for instance, where by the time you have peeled and cleaned them you often feel as though a fair chunk of the food has disappeared before you have even started cooking. In fact it’s sensible in these cases to weigh what’s left and adapt the recipe accordingly.
I bought three 250 g punnets of cherry tomatoes on special at our favourite food and veg store. It was a measly R20 which is just above €1 or US$1.23. With that kind of special offer it would have been rude not do something delicious with them. So 750gm of tomatoes became the starting point for this relish.
My brother-in-law who is Afrikaans calls this kind of food a smoor. That’s a super fun word and means to smother or to simmer. That is really quite a good description because the tomatoes are slow-cooked with onion, vinegar and sugar until the relish turns thick, glossy and spoonable. It sits somewhere between a relish, chutney and a spread. In itself it has a fairly mild flavour. There is nothing stopping you to add chilli or curry, and a range of other personal favourite flavours. For first time cooks, try this recipe as is to see how you like it and then only start experimenting.
My family, the Afrikaans side, loved this batch as is. I found it slightly on the sweet side, so if you prefer a sharper relish, use a little less sugar or add another splash of vinegar towards the end.
Ingredients
750gm cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp salt
a good grind of black pepper
optional: ½ tsp smoked paprika
* optional: a few thyme leaves
How to make it
Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5–7 minutes, until softened. You are not trying to brown it. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the cherry tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard seeds, salt, pepper and, if you are using them, the smoked paprika and thyme.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
At first it will look far too wet. Cherry tomatoes release plenty of liquid as they cook, but that is exactly what you want. Keep the pan uncovered and let the mixture reduce slowly. Cook for around 35–50 minutes or longer if too liquid, stirring regularly. As it thickens, stir more often so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
You are looking for a thick, glossy mixture that holds together on a spoon rather than running like tomato sauce. Taste before you stop cooking. Although I must say that when I tasted it just before taking it off the stove I thought the flavour was far too stringent both sweet and very vinegary. As it cooled off the flavours calmed down as well and the final result was a lovely texture and smooth flavours. It’s always good to just try it out.
If it is too sharp, add a little more sugar. If it is sweeter than you would like, add a small splash of vinegar and cook for another couple of minutes. My family liked the original sweeter version and gave it a wholehearted thumbs up. I would personally make the next batch less sweet.
Into the jars
Spoon the hot relish into clean jars. Allow it to cool, close the lids and refrigerate. This is a refrigerator relish, not a tested shelf-stable canning recipe. Consume within two to three weeks. No need to make a huge quantity. It’s so easy to make you can make a smaller batch in a flash. Rinse and repeat once it’s finished.
What to eat it with
This is one of those jars that should be useful for far more than toast. But if you prefer to do toast, this is what we tried when the relish came off the stove. On slices of toasted, buttered sourdough bread we added a thick layer of cheddar cheese, a generous spoonful of cherry tomato relish on that, homemade pickled jalapeños, a few slivers of pan-fried bacon and a very generous grind of black pepper.
A messy feast as you can see from the photo. But absolutely scrumptious.
In general though, try it with burgers, braaied (BBQ’d) meat, roast chicken or pork, cold meats, cheese, sandwiches or anything that needs a little sweet-sharp tomato flavour.
A little kitchen note
The best thing about this recipe may actually be the lack of waste.The bowl of whole tomatoes becomes almost entirely relish. There is no pile of peelings, cores or scraps left behind. For something this easy, what a bonus.
Download the Recipe card here:
