Old Fashioned Tomato Relish Recipe NZ: Authentic Guide

There’s a reason New Zealand grandmothers have been making tomato relish for generations — it transforms a glut of summer tomatoes into something that lives on well past the season. This recipe draws from the Edmonds cookbook classic, the kind found in kiwi kitchens since your mum’s childhood, with tips from market stalls and regional cooks who’ve put their own spin on the traditional method.

Key Ingredient: 1.5kg tomatoes ·
Vinegar Type: Malt vinegar ·
Sugar Amount: 2 cups brown sugar ·
Prep Time: 30 minutes ·
Cook Time: 1.5 hours

The ingredient specifications below come from the canonical Edmonds recipe with cross-references to regional variants that adjust proportions for different batch sizes.

How to Make a Simple Tomato Relish?

The Edmonds method breaks this into two sessions: prepare the night before, cook the next day. It’s not complicated, but the overnight brine is what makes the final relish less watery and more flavourful. Here’s how to do it properly, based on the official Edmonds Cooking recipe.

Ingredients for old fashioned NZ style

• 1.5kg ripe tomatoes
• 4 onions, quartered
• 2 Tbsp salt (for brining)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2¼ cups malt vinegar
• 3 chillies, halved (optional)
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 2 Tbsp Edmonds flour or plain flour
• ¼ cup malt vinegar (for paste)

Step-by-step cooking process

1. Blanch and skin the tomatoes: Score a cross in the base of each tomato. Drop into boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water. The skins slip off easily. Core and quarter the peeled tomatoes.
2. Brine overnight: Combine the peeled tomatoes and quartered onions in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the salt, toss well, and leave covered for 12 hours. This draws out excess moisture and seasons the flesh.
3. Drain (don’t rinse): After brining, drain the liquid — there’s no need to rinse the tomatoes. This liquid is water and tomato juices, not needed in the final product.
4. First simmer: Place the drained tomatoes and onions in a large pot. Add the sugar, malt vinegar, and chillies (if using). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let this cook for 1½ hours until the mixture thickens and the tomatoes break down.
5. Make the spice paste: Mix the mustard, curry powder, and flour in a small bowl. Add the ¼ cup malt vinegar gradually, stirring until you have a smooth paste with no lumps.
6. Add paste and final simmer: Stir the spice paste into the relish. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the relish thickens to a chunky, spoonable consistency.
7. Bottle hot: Ladle the hot relish into sterilised glass jars. Seal immediately and store in a cool, dark place.

Sterilizing jars

Clean jars need a quick sterilisation before bottling. Either run them through a hot dishwasher cycle, or place them in a warm oven (120°C) for at least 20 minutes. Never pour hot relish into cold jars — the temperature shock can crack the glass.

What Vinegar Do You Use in Tomato Relish?

Malt vinegar is the non-negotiable choice in most NZ tomato relish recipes. It gives that distinctive brown-gold colour and a sharpness that balances the sweetness of the sugar. The Days of Jay blog notes that malt vinegar produces a bright red colour in the finished relish — it’s not just flavour, it’s aesthetic too.

Malt vinegar preference in NZ recipes

Edmonds specifies 2¼ cups malt vinegar, which is the standard across almost every NZ recipe you’ll find. The NZ Herald’s version adds a half-cup of balsamic alongside the malt, which deepens the flavour slightly — but purists stick with plain malt.

Alternatives like white vinegar

White malt vinegar works if you want a lighter-coloured finished product, but it has less flavour complexity. One home cook on South 36 East tried cider vinegar to lighten the colour but noted the flavour suffered: “I went back to malt vinegar.” If you’re making this for the first time, start with the malt — it’s what the recipe is built for.

Should I Peel Tomatoes for Relish?

Yes — blanching and peeling is standard practice in every NZ recipe worth following. Without removing the skins, you get chewy bits that ruin the texture of a smooth, chunky relish. The Edmonds method is explicit: blanch, skin, and quarter before brining.

Blanching method

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Using a sharp knife, score a shallow cross on the base of each tomato (skin side down). Lower the tomatoes in for exactly 30 seconds — any longer and they start cooking, not just loosening skins. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and straight into ice water. The skins peel off in seconds.

Skin removal benefits

Tomato skins don’t break down during cooking the way the flesh does. In a long-simmered relish, they’ll float as tough, chewy ribbons. Removing them before cooking gives you a smooth, homogenous texture that lets the flavour — not the mouthfeel — be the point.

Is Tomato Chutney the Same as Tomato Relish?

They’re similar but not identical — and the difference matters if you’re chasing a specific result. Both are preserved tomato condiments, but the texture, spice level, and sweetness differ. According to Days of Jay, “NZ-style tomato relish tends to be chunkier and sweeter, while tomato chutney is often spicier and can have a smoother or more caramelised texture.”

Key differences in texture and spices

• Relish: chunkier, more tomato pieces visible, sweeter, shorter cooking time
• Chutney: often puréed or smoother, spicier with more chilli or warming spices, longer cooking for caramelisation

NZ relish vs chutney

In New Zealand, “relish” typically refers to this specific Edmonds-style recipe: malt vinegar, brown sugar, chunky tomato pieces. “Chutney” in NZ cooking often describes something closer to a Indian-inspired version with more spices. The Foodlovers forum archives an older recipe labelled “Red Tomato Chutney” with similar proportions, but the terminology varies by era and kitchen.

How Long Does Homemade Tomato Relish Last?

Properly sealed and stored, homemade tomato relish lasts up to 12 months — similar to other low-acid preserves. The key YouTube method videos emphasise sterilised jars and sealed storage as critical for shelf life. Once you crack a jar open, the clock speeds up considerably.

Storage in jars

Before opening, sealed jars of properly made relish stay good for months in a pantry or cupboard. The Edmonds site notes you should “keep 2 weeks before use” — this isn’t about safety, it’s about flavour. The spices and vinegar need time to meld. After 2 weeks, the relish will taste more complex and developed.

Refrigerator shelf life

Once opened, transfer to the fridge and use within 1-2 months. The acidity of the vinegar helps preserve it, but exposure to air and repeated handling introduces contamination risk. If you see any mould, bubbling, or off-smell, discard immediately.

“A fairly thick and chunky relish to serve with cold meats and cheese.”

— Edmonds Cooking (Official Recipe)

“A classic recipe for generations of New Zealanders and Australians.”

— Days of Jay (Recipe Author)

The NZ approach to tomato relish is built on consistency — malt vinegar, overnight brine, the 1½-hour simmer — but there’s room for personal adjustment once you understand why each step exists. Whether you follow Edmonds exactly or add your own twist, the method works because the core structure is sound.

Related reading: Eat Well for Less · Little French Cafe Mt Albert

This old-fashioned NZ relish treats tomatoes as versatile vegetables, much like the enduring tomato fruit-vegetable debate in kitchens worldwide.

Frequently asked questions