Mum's Tomato Relish

We had heaps of tomato bushes growing on Misery. Mum used to make the best tomato relish. We'd have it on toast for breakfast, dinner, or tea. Some days that was the only thing we had to eat. Mum had a great, big, cast iron pan she used to cook it in, either on the old Crown stove top or over the fireplace in the dining room. She made all her own jars out of empty bottles. Her brother, Fred, made her a wire ring for cutting the tops off bottles. She’d heat the wire up in the fire, get it nice and hot, then put it over the top of the bottle and push it down as far as she wanted it. She'd hold it there for a minute, then dip the neck of the bottle in cold water and it would snap clean off. Then she'd use a bit of sandstone to smooth the edges. The jars never had any lids but Mum would pour melted fat over the top of the relish to seal it. Then she’d stick a bit of brown paper over the top with a paste made from flour and water. Relish would keep for ages like that but it never lasted too long in our house—not with all us kids. Me daughter, Jacqui, makes relish for me now, from Mum's recipe. I still have it on toast for breakfast or dinner.
Here's Mum's recipe.
Bebe's Tomato Relish
12lb ripe tomatoes
8 medium sized onions
4 cups vinegar
3lb brown sugar
4 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon mustard powder

Scald and skin tomatoes and cut up
Peel and finely slice onions
Place tomatoes and onions in a bowl, cover with salt and leave overnight
Drain off liquid
Boil in half the vinegar for half an hour
Add cayenne and sugar, boil until onion is soft (approx 3/4 hr)
Blend flour, curry powder and mustard with remaining vinegar
Add and cook for half an hour
Cool a little and pour into clean jars

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