let me tell ya the story about onionz limone.
ya see, onionz was a big talker. until one day, the boss told me to give onionz the silence treatment.
know what i’m sayin?
i did a real clean job.
’cause that’s what i do.
i’m not sayin’ a coupla-few innocents didn’t get caught in the mix.
these things happen.
regardless,
i get the job done.
onionz limone chutney
adapted from jams, jellies & chutneys
1/2 pound red onions (about 1 medium-large) diced
1/2 pound lemons (about 3 medium)
4 & 1/2 ounces dried apricots, chopped
4 garlic cloves,
1 1/2 inch slice of ginger
3 dried red chiles
7 ounces demerara sugar – or raw
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 pint canning jars or smaller
yield: 1 & 1/2 pints approximately
1. squeeze the lemons and set juice aside.
2. scrape the flesh from the lemon peels and discard. slice and then dice the cleaned lemon shells.
3. peel the garlic and ginger and process to a paste with the dried chilis. you can use a mini processor, a wet/dry spice grinder or a good old fashioned mortar and pestle.
4. put everything into a preserving pot including the reserved lemon juice. heat on medium low until the sugar melts and then turn up the heat to medium high and bring to the boil. simmer until mixture thickens – about 20-30 minutes. you know when it reaches sufficient thickness when you slide your stirring spoon across the bottom of the pot and the chutney wavers on either side for a second or two before it melts back over itself.
5. this chutney is quite thick and like me, you may have a bit of trouble getting all of the air pockets out of the sides. be sure to use a knife or back of spoon to run around the inside sides and give the jar a little bang and side to side shuffle on the counter-top when filling.
6. hot water bath process for 10 minutes.
to allow the flavors to fully flourish it is best to let this chutney rest for 2-3 weeks before indulging. this recipe can easily be doubled.
this little chutney packs a powerful punch, and definitely has an eastern flair. i would say skip the ubiquitous chutney & sharp cheese pairing with this one and go right for the curries, stir-frys and one dish indian and southeast asian inspired meals. or simply use it stirred into a rice or grain as the exotic flavoring agent.
(ok, i couldn’t wait – we had it last night with rice and a quick indian shrimp stir-fry and it really was the perfect pairing! i served it alongside one of our go to lemon pickles and it was so good we ended up stirring this onionz limone right into our rice and forgoing the lemon pickle altogether! go figure! )
tigress can jam march: allium - success!
i have a confession to make – i am not a big chutney fan. (there i said it) ok, now that i’ve let the jam out of the jar – i’ll explain that it’s not 100% true. i actually love chutney – the fresh kind, the kind that is served all over the eastern hemisphere in varying degrees. the kind that is traditionally ground between pestle and grinding stone at heights closer to the floor than the counter-top, and taste the best the day they are made.
but the hot water bath preserved kind that stems from the british’s take on the real thing? well, not so much. however, i wanted to push the onion skin for this month’s can jam and find a preserved chutney i could relate to. and lo, at a point or two in the cooking process i was thinking, “oh, no, fail!” but eventually the flavors and textures came together to a seriously mouth-watering condiment. it is sweet yes, but not cloyingly so, and the pungency & spice will bring me back to the preserving pot for this one. i can certainly see it as a larder staple as i imagine it will pair with many-a-things going on in my kitchen. and i dare say it’s prompted me to explore more chutneys of the preserving persuasion.
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Hey Tigress,
That looks tasty. Can't wait for the round-up.
Looks delicious: such lovely photos! Mines in the canner right now!
Good one! Looks lovely.
I find I have better luck serving people chutney if I don't say the word "chutney". So a bowl on the table with the roast or a bit tucked into a canape becomes just "a bit of roasted fruit and spice" or another relish tray feature and, like magic, it's adored. Something about the world itself causes people to back away. I'm glad you're striking a blow for right-minded people every where and making chutney, too.
tigress, your posts always make me laugh, and the chutney looks great!
You're too funny! I'm not a chutney fan either, but that one looks good.
I'm glad to be savvy to the secret. I like sweet, so I can take it. I think this looks incredibobble. But I know you're kind of spicy. Now I ask: how can any chutney be bad that's called Onionz Limone???
i'll have you all know i popped on here to check these comments, took one look at that photo and promptly walked in to the kitchen, grabbed a spoon and double-dipped. i am hooked.
What if I substituted yellow onions for the red? I have tons of yellow and no red onions. I'm hoping only the color would be lighter but the flavor would be close.
sheila – you can certainly substitute yellow onions. it may be slightly more pungent and red onions are a bit sweeter, but that's not a bad thing! let me know how it turns out!
Just checked in and we used the same book, I haven't had a fail with them yet. Each one takes a little personal tweaking, but good flavor combos. Loved your story theme and fab pics!
Just checked in and we used the same book, I haven't had a fail with them yet. Each one takes a little personal tweaking, but good flavor combos. Loved your story theme and fab pics!
I think I would use this exactly as you say – as the main flavoring agent for a dish of rice, just stirred in. Mmmm….
I made mine right after the theme was announced, but couldn't get any decent shots until I was able to open & taste it. And I went Italian.
And it's finally posted! (http://www.flamingomusings.com/2010/03/can-jam-3-alliums.html)
I'm a bit behind on the chutney times. I'm ashamed to say that InnBrooklyn's Feb CanJam chutney was my first taste. This one looks yum and goo and slathery! Go Tigress (marching boldly forward in the face of condiments!!)
looks beautiful and delisioso! i'm glad to see the can jam is changing your canning ways and expectations as it is mine!
Can't really imagine what the combination of lemons and onions tastes like. I guess I'll have to make this recipe to find out
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I really liked the idea of this and had some organic lemons needing to be used. I made this yesterday and I'm hoping it ages well. I scraped the lemon peels pretty well but the chutney still had a very bitter aftertaste, I assume from the pith. Will this go away in a few weeks? I really like bitter things but this was too much for me and it obliterated the subtleness of the other flavors. Any ideas?
millie – it will definitely mellow over time. mine has a very slight bitterness akin to a marmalade but not so much. i didn't concentrate on scraping the pith off so i don't know if that is what's happening with yours. all lemons are different, perhaps yours were very bitter. wait and see, and try it in small doses, you may begin to like that bitterness eventually!
Yum – I'm going to make a batch of this tonight!
If you're looking for cooked chutney recipes, this one has become a favourite of mine: http://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-rhubarb-chutney-9467. Unlike a lot of chutneys, it's not too sweet, and it has a deliciously well-balanced spice profile. I often substitute apple for half or all of the rhubarb, depending on what I have on hand.