Plum Date Chutney Recipes

SPICED PLUM CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the sugar, into a large pan and stir well. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 mins, until the plums are tender.
• Stir in the sugar plus 2 tsp salt and keep stirring until it has dissolved. Boil the chutney for 20-30 mins, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent it catching on the bottom, until it is thick and pulpy.
• Pot into sterilised jars (see Know-how, below), seal, label and store for at least 2 weeks before eating. Will keep for up to 6 months in a cool dark place.

SPICY PLUM & APPLE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• To sterilise the jars: run them with the lids and any rubber seals through the hottest cycle of your dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, give the jars a good wash, then heat them in the oven at 150C/130C fan/ gas 2 for 30 mins. Don't bake seals - boil them in a pan of water for 10 mins. If you don't have lids you can buy jam pot covers from cook shops which you can then cover with fabric.
• Prepare the ingredients: first, peel the garlic cloves and cut them into slivers. Peel and thinly shred the ginger. Halve, peel and thinly slice the onions, then put them in a large, wide saucepan or a preserving pan with the garlic and ginger. Peel, core and chop the apples, then add to the pan with the spices, vinegar and salt.
• Bring the pan to the boil over a gentle heat, give everything a good stir, then turn down the heat and cover the pan (if you don't have a lid use foil). Simmer for 30 mins until the apples are cooked and pulpy.
• While the apples are simmering, stone and quarter the plums, then add them to the cooked apples with the sugar. Stir well and leave to bubble away, this time uncovered, for another 40 mins stirring regularly until the plums are cooked but still retain some of their shape. Ladle into the sterilised jars, seal and label. Use our downloadable Christmas labels if you like.
• This chutney is best kept for about a month before eating as the vinegar needs a bit of time to mellow. If you don't want the flavour of the spices to develop any more, then take out the cinnamon and star anise before potting. It will keep for 1 year in a cool place but once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.

PLUM CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
• Heat the contents slowly until boiling point is reached.
• Turn the heat down until a consistent slow simmering point is reached.
• Cook for at least 1 hour but no more than 3 hours. Check on it every 30 minutes and stir occasionally.
• Towards the end of cooking time stir the chutney more to ensure that nothing sticks and burns at the bottom. It will thicken when it cools.
• Pour into sterilised containers and seal with airtight lids. Enjoy as part of a cheeseboard!

PLUM CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Combine sugars and vinegar in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, stirring until sugars dissolve.
• Add remaining ingredients; mix well and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and cook gently 45-50 minutes until thickened.
• Stir often to keep chutney from scorching.
• Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.
• **Allowat least one month to season before opening.

SPICED DAMSON CHUTNEY

Steps:

• You've got two options here. One is to halve the damsons, slitting them down the natural line of the fruit and twisting out the stones - very tedious. The other is to stew them gently with ½ pint (275 ml) of the vinegar and then, wearing rubber gloves, remove the stones as they separate themselves from the flesh - also tedious but, either way, it will only take about 25 minutes and I promise you it is well, well worth it. Place them in a preserving pan, then core the apples but leave the peel on, and finely chop them in a processor. Then process the onions, adding both these to the pan. After that, crush the garlic and add that, followed by the ginger, raisins, sugar and the (remaining) vinegar. Then sprinkle in the salt and stir everything thoroughly. Now wrap the cinnamon, allspice and cloves in the muslin (or gauze) and tie the top loosely with the string to form a little bag, which should then be tied on to the handle of the pan and suspended among the rest of the ingredients. Now bring everything to the boil, then lower the heat and let the chutney simmer very gently for 2-3 hours, stirring it occasionally and rather more often towards the end to prevent it sticking to the bottom. When almost all the vinegar has disappeared and the chutney has thickened to a soft consistency, do the channel test - if it is ready, when you draw a channel with a wooden spoon across its surface, it will leave an imprint for a few seconds without filling up with vinegar. While it is still warm, pour it into the hot, sterilised jars (see below), filling them as full as possible. Cover each with a waxed disc and seal tightly with a vinegar-proof lid. Label when cold and store the chutney in a cool, airy cupboard, leaving it to mellow for at least 3 months before eating. Note: To sterilise jars, wash the jars and lids in warm, soapy water, rinse well (again in warm water), then dry them thoroughly with a clean tea cloth, place them on a baking tray and pop them in a medium oven, gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) for a minimum of 5 minutes. Add their contents while they are still hot.

PLUM CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Mix plums and sugar together in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns to liquid, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir salt, ginger, chili powder, cloves, and cinnamon into the mixture. Cook over low heat until desired consistency is reached, stirring often to prevent chutney from sticking, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust spices if needed.
• Mix vinegar into the pot and cook over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for 5 minutes more. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 weeks.

PLUM & DATE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Preheat grill and line the grill pan with foil.
• MIx the onions and oil and spread them out in the pan.
• Grill for 12-15 minutes or until soft and charred.
• Put the plum slices into a large bowl and add the hot onions with all the reamining ingredients.
• Leave to marinate for 1 hour, then taste and add salt and pepper, plus a little extra sugar if you like.
• Goes great with cold meats or stuffed into a pitta bread with a strong cheese.

PLUM CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Start by thinly slicing the peeled ginger, then cut again into thin matchsticks.
• Place the cardamom pods into a pestle and lightly crack them and remove the seeds. Throw the shell away and crush the seeds.
• Roughly chop the dates .
• Place the ginger, crushed cardamom, and dates into a large, non-reactive saucepan.
• Cut the plum halves into two and add to the pan with the onions, apples, vinegar, and sugar. Stir well.
• Put the pan onto medium heat and stir until all the sugar dissolves. Add the cinnamon, ground ginger, and star anise. Stir again.
• Let the chutney reach a gentle boil, then turn down the heat to low and continue to cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During this time, keep an eye on the chutney, checking from time to time that it isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. You do not have to stand over the pan, but do not leave it for too long in between stirs.
• The chutney is ready when it has thickened, turned a delicious glossy dark brown. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 15 minutes before potting into hot sterilized jars . The chutney should go through a water bath canning process, and will keep for up to a year in a cool place, and it does not need to be refrigerated until opened.