Chutney ..the Other way to preserve..PHOTOS & RECIPE & TIPS

When I worked  as head chef  in Norway in  the early 70's at a tourist hotel, a lot of the time was spent making preserves of different kinds, especially in the late summer-Fall when we had a large influx of ripe tomatoes ( the summers in Norway 300 miles inland on the Sognefjord  can be quite hot)..so I spent a few weeks making tomato-plum chutney, that used to slowly cook for hours, sometimes overnight on the solid stove top.
Flavored with cinnamon, cloves and onions this became almost black as pitch when it was ready for packing and sealing away until later in the year.

All Chutneys are best once they have matured over several months..the same can be said for some sweet jams too.

The way I make my fruit chutneys now is very similar except I don't cook them for hours on end, and I use all types of fresh ripe fruit.

The key with chutneys is NOT to use bruised or damaged fruit as these hold mold spores that can damage the finished product and it's safe shelf life, especially when sealing in boiling water...the inside of the jars has to heat up to kill off any bacteria, there are no short cuts when it comes to sealing the jars.

Chutney is a sort of jam that is made with a vinegar or citrus juice and sugar..(these are the original preservatives), by sealing/sterilizing the jars in boiling water one can cut back on the amount of sugar and vinegar used.


Standard Chutney Recipe
Makes 2-3 pounds for bottling

2 pounds fruit ( inc. tomatoes, green or ripe), apples or pears ( peeled and quartered), stoned fruit ( plums, apricots, peaches, pluots), dried fruit ( prunes, raisins - leave whole, apricots), whole oranges, apples, grapefruit, ..all cut/chopped into same size

1 pint vinegar ( cider, red wine, malt,) do not use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, nor balsamic as they are too acidic, and balsamic is too sweet and too dark.


Sugar:
1 cup  ( white or brown) for ripe sweet fruit
1 1/2 cups for acidic fruit ( green tomatoes, oranges)

Spices of choice..ground..1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon ( for a sweeter tasting chutney),1/8tsp  cloves ( use sparingly), 1/2 tsp. coriander, 1/2 tsp ginger ( either ground, fresh peeled, or even crystalized),also can add garam masala ( 1/2 tsp) and curry powder (1/2tsp)

Salt & ground black pepper

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced 

Cook the fruit in vinegar for about 30 mins on rolling boil, add the  vegetables and cook on low simmer for 1 hour, uncovered ( allow the chutney to reduce in liquid) Stir frequently.

after 1 hour  ( the chutney should have reduced by 1/4), add the sugar and continue to simmer ( low) for about an hour, stir very frequently and do not allow to boil, check bottom of pan for sticking, if it does begin to stick, lower temperature.

After 1 hour turn off heat and wait 30 mins to taste..it should be strong flavored and sweet-sour, it there is any metalic flavor, ( can come from vinegar) add more spice and  1/4 cup sugar, stir well. Do not over- sweeten the chutney as it does get sweeter as it matures over several months.

When cool enough to handle place in sterilized sealable jars ( worth purchasing a preserve funnel) and screw on lids.

Place the jars in boiling water ( enough to cover ) and boil seal for 25 mins..care fully remove from the boiling water using a (spider) vegetable wire strainer, and place on wooden board to cool ( you will hear the tops popping that is fine it is forming a vacuum).
when cool enough to handle, tighten up the lids and store in a cool dark place for 3 months +

 Again, the flavors will mature and mellow and surprisingly will be less sour and more sweet after 3 months.

I enclose photos of 3 preserves I have made this afternoon

a plum and fig chutney with ground cinnamon, cloves & ginger, with a ripe tomato base


a Very Spicy  fresh peach & Kashmir Chili chutney ( a friend just returned from India with some bright red Kashmir ground chili powder) with cardamom pods, curry powder, garam masala, fresh own grown red jalepeno peppers, ground clove, ground cumin, ground ginger

and a sort of Romtoft..of fresh local grown white peaches bottled in sugar and brandy.

All have been sealed/sterilized in boiling water and I am waiting/cooling so I can tighten the lids..these will be stored away  until Christmas, this next month I am going to be using some own made tomato-plum chutney I made just before the marriage of Catherine and HRH Prince William..enjoy the photographs and make your own chutney now that the summer fruits are ripe and at their best, they are much tastier than just freezing everything.....

all 3 photos own grown red jalapeno peppers

dwarf satsuma kumquats for the chutneys

sliced & chopped red jalapenos in the peach and Kashmir chili chutney

chopped pitted prunes for the fruit chutney

bottled and waiting for the boiling water sterlization

filling the jars with a special funnel

white peaches in brandy and sugar

Kashmir chili and peach chutney..waiting for storage

fruit chutney

sterilization in boiling water ..jars and lids have to be covered with boiling water