Fiddes Net

Barbara's Recipes - Chutneys

Index and introduction to recipes for Chutneys.

green tomatoes
marrow
gooseberries
runner beans
tomato selection

Introduction and Tips for making Chutney

We prefer chutney rather than pickles so have gathered these recipes over the years from a variety of sources. They are mostly fruit chutneys as we grow a lot of fruit. The preservatives are sugar and vinegar.

The method varies a little but mostly simply requires preparing the ingredients and cooking till thick. This can take some considerable time, in the region of an hour or even longer.

To check that it is ready, pull a wooden spoon across the surface of the pan; it should leave a trail in the mixture.

When ready, pot in warmed jars. Put wax circles on immediately after wiping off any spills. Cover when completely cold.

A word of warning, cellophane covers obtained for jam-making are not suitable as they do not prevent the vinegar from evaporating thus allowing the chutney to dry out. Beware also metal lids with no coating. I use jars with vinegar-proof lids which I've collected by buying commercial products with a vinegar content. Even these deteriorate over time as the acid breaks through the coating and attacks the metal.

Chutney is best kept for some time before using to allow the flavours to blend and mature. I usually have sufficient supplies to keep it for a year before using it but 6 months is generally long enough.

All these varieties keep well and I can't say that I've found any problems even after a number of years in storage. In fact one recipe which is made entirely with dried fruits tasted so raw at first that I put it to the back of the cupboard and forgot about it. When cleaning out the cupboard some years later, I decided it ought to be thrown out but decided to taste it first. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was exceptionally good.

Back to Chutmey Index

fruit selection
making chutney
pot of chutney
pot of chutney
pot of chutney

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