Silver Spoon Fruity Chutney Recipes

WINTER FRUIT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place prunes and apricots in saucepan; add 1 cup/250 mL water and bring to boil.
• Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Stir in onion, apple, tomatoes, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black and cayenne peppers, salt and vinegar; bring to simmer.
• Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until thickened to jamlike consistency, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove from heat and spoon into jar.

CITRUS CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place a small dish in the freezer. Combine all of the ingredients with 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and cook on a low boil, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and bring the chutney back up to a boil. Uncover and increase the heat so the chutney boils rapidly for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and place a few tablespoons on the frozen dish. Replace the dish in the freezer. After 5 minutes, nudge the chutney with a spoon or your finger. If it has the proper consistency, it's done. If the chutney is still runny, continue to cook for another few minutes, then test it again. To store in the refrigerator, let the chutney cool to room temperature. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
• VARIATION: Citrus Marmalade
• For a delicious, easy marmalade, leave out the onion and vinegar, and use just a dash of salt. The ginger is optional.
• Basic Canning
• Canning is a straightforward process that experienced veterans can do instinctively. It's fun and easy, but because detailed procedures must be followed in order to prevent the growth of toxic bacteria, you should first learn from an experienced canner or study one of the books recommended in the Resources section (page 194) if you want to strike out on your own. Describing the full canning process, which results in foods that can be stored at room temperature for up to a year in a cool, dark, place, is beyond the scope of this book, so the preserve recipes that follow are ones that can be stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 months.

SLOW-COOKER GOLDEN FRUIT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in 2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until very thick. Cool about 2 hours.
• Spoon chutney into container. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 2 months. Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer's directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

OLD FASHIONED SCOTTISH APPLE AND GINGER CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place all the prepared onions and apples into a large preserving pan and add the remaining ingredients.
• Bring slowly to the boil and then lower the heat so that chutney cooks at a rolling boil.
• Stir the chutney regularly and make sure it does not "catch" and burn on the base of the preserving pan.
• Keep on cooking until the chutney is the consistency of a thick jam and all the liquids have dissolved.
• (A trick to check if it is cooked is to draw your wooden spoon across the chutney, if the space that is left fills up with liquid, the chutney is not ready yet!).
• Spoon the hot chutney into hot and sterile jars and seal immediately.
• Makes about 4 lbs chutney.
• Store in a dark and cool place and leave to mature for at least 2 weeks.
• Will keep in ideal storage conditions for up to 2 years+.