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Tomato Preserve

A three-day preserve of green tomatoes: the tomatoes are pre-cooked in vinegar and water, peeled and cut, briefly boiled in a clear sugar syrup with vanilla and vinegar, and after resting the syrup is strained off and reduced ½ hour before being poured hot over the tomatoes in jars.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 602 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

A preserve of green (unripe) tomatoes was a way to use up tomatoes that did not ripen in the Norwegian climate. The recipe spans three days, which was common for thoroughly candied fruit.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Pre-cook the tomatoes

    Wipe off the tomatoes and cook them in equal parts vinegar and water – only just enough to cover them – for about 5 minutes, until the skin can easily be pulled off.

  2. 2

    Set aside to cool

    Pour everything into a dish and let it stand until the next day.

  3. 3

    Peel and cut

    Remove the skin and cut the tomatoes into 2–4 pieces according to size.

  4. 4

    Boil the syrup

    Boil sugar, water, vinegar and vanilla into a syrup, that is, until it is skimmed and completely clear.

  5. 5

    Boil the tomatoes in the syrup

    Place the tomatoes in the syrup and let them boil for 4 minutes. Pour everything out and let it stand until the next day.

  6. 6

    Final boiling

    Bring it to a boil, lift out the tomatoes with a slotted spoon so the syrup drains off well, and let the syrup simmer ½ hour.

  7. 7

    Fill the jars

    Place the tomatoes in jars and pour the hot syrup over. Tie the covers over the following day.

Changes from the original

The quantities of sugar, vinegar, water and vanilla are partly illegible in the OCR; they have been set to the most likely values. Deciliters used for "del." The language in the steps has been modernized.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 602) → Modernised~81% of the text changedremovedadded
2 kg. kg grønne tomater tomater. 2 kg. kg sukker (mengden er uklar i originaltrykket). 1 del. dl eddik (til sirupen). 2 del. vand ½ vaniljestang. Tomaterne avtørres, kokes i dl vann (til sirupen). 0,5 stang vanilje. eddik og vand — halvt vann til forkoking (halvt av hvert hvert, så vidt det dekker tomatene). Tørk av tomatene og saa meget, kok dem i like deler eddik og vann – bare så mye at det netop staar så vidt står over dem —, – i ca. 5 minutter, til man let skinnet lett kan trække skindet av (ca. 5 minutter). Alt heldes trekkes av.. Hell alt i et fat og staar la det stå til næste dag. Skindet tages neste dag.. Ta av skinnet og tomaterne deles del tomatene i 2—4 dele efter størrelsen. Sukker, vand, 2–4 deler etter størrelsen.. Kok sukker, vann, eddik og vanilje koker til sirup, d. v. s. til det vil si til den er skummet og ganske klart. Tomaterne haves helt klar.. Legg tomatene i sirupen og koker la dem koke i 4 minutter. Alt heldes op Hell alt opp og la det stå til næste dag, gives da neste dag.. Gi det et opkok, tomaterne tages op oppkok, ta tomatene opp med hulslev — faa hullsleiv slik at saften renner godt fra —, av, og la saften smaakoker småkoke ½ time. Heldes varm over tomaterne, som er lagt time.. Legg tomatene i krukker. Tilbindes krukker og hell den varme saften over. Bind over dagen efter. etter.

Note on Modernised

Mengdene for sukker, eddik, vann og vanilje er delvis uleselige i OCR-en; de er satt til de mest sannsynlige verdiene. Desiliter brukt for «del.». Språk i trinnene er modernisert.

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Frequently asked questions

Why does this tomato preserve take so long to make?
The recipe spans several days. The tomatoes are blanched in vinegar and water for about 5 minutes and stand until the next day, boiled 4 minutes in the syrup and stand again until the next day, get a boil-up, the syrup simmers ½ hour – and the jars are tied over the following day. The long time is therefore mostly resting time, not cooking time.
Should I use green or ripe tomatoes?
The recipe uses green (unripe) tomatoes – 2 kg green tomatoes to 2 kg sugar.
How do I get the skin off the tomatoes?
The tomatoes are wiped off and boiled about 5 minutes in equal parts vinegar and water, just enough to cover them. After they have stood until the next day, the skin is easily pulled off, and the tomatoes are cut into 2–4 pieces according to size.
What gives flavor to the syrup?
Sugar, water, vinegar and ½ vanilla pod are boiled into a syrup – that is, until it is skimmed and completely clear – before the tomatoes are added.

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