i remember a more innocent time when i said i didn’t like garlic with fruit. and then another time when i confessed i wasn’t a chutney fan.
that was then.
i think it was onionz limone that finally put me over the edge…those illicit little jars of toothsome lemony-spiced-pucker-in-your-mouth-deliciousness didn’t last long around here. so, this time i decided to unabashedly dive right in.
i’m talking fatto garlic cloves, a rotund and juicy onion, gobs of ginger, a lotta dried hot pepper and some big chewy bits of fruit.
this is chutney on steroids, jersey shore chutney if you will.
this chutney is damn proud to be a chutney and he’ll tell ya aboutit in every single bite.
if this chutney had hair, you wouldn’t dare run your hands through it.
this chutney would hog the bathroom mirror.
this chutney is a situation.
chewy spicy chutney (chewy for short)
3/4 pound dried fruit – (i used raisins, sour cherries, figs and apricots. you can also use apples, peaches, pears, blueberries, mango, papaya, etc. use any combo you like, with at least 4 different types of fruit)
1 & 1/2 pounds apples (or pears, peaches, plums)
3/4 pound light brown sugar
2 & 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 large red onion, diced (or yellow, or 2 large shallots)
4 plump garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 dried extra hot chiles (or to taste) – crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pint or smaller mason jars
yield: approximately 3 & 1/2 pints
1. prepare jars for hot water bath processing. no need to sterilize as filled jars will be processed for 10 minutes.
2. leave dried berries and raisins whole, cut larger fruit into 1/2 inch pieces. peel and core apples, chop into hefty 1 inch pieces.
3. add everything to a non-reactive pan, stir to combine. heat on low until sugar is fully dissolved.
4. turn up the heat and bring to the boil. once boiling, lower heat to simmer. simmer until desired thickness. mine took approximately 30 minutes.
5. fill hot jars and hot water bath process for 10 minutes. you will need to run a plastic chopstick or knife around the inside rim of jar to release air bubbles before putting on lid.
this will thicken fairly quickly as far as chutneys go because of the bulky dried fruit. the apples will break down to form the base, but if you’ve cut the apples in large inch-sized pieces there should be some not-quite cooked down apple bits remaining. this will add to the chutney’s overall chunkiness.
this chutney will taste best if you let it hang out on the shelf for 3-6 weeks before opening.
and of course, if you happen to have a shelf by a mirror…
tigress’ can jam december: dried fruit success!
i am a full-fledged chutney fan now – i really love this chutney! (i can’t wait to taste it after the 3 week mark!) and i am excited about the endless possibilities of dried & fresh fruit combos. while i went for texture and heat here, and did not add spices, i can see taking this basic recipe in many directions by adding spices the likes of mustard and fennel seeds, coriander, anise, etc. and of course all manner of spice powders.
learning: while this is not a new concept around these parts, again and again i am reminded how DIY just renders everything better! me thinks i was not previously enamored by bottled chutneys because even the best store-bought cannot compare to doing it yourself!
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I heart Chewy! And I heart chutneys. I really think they're so much fun to play with, and they're nice for those folks who might not have a super sweet tooth (like me!).
Store bought chutneys- blech! Yours looks awesome, and I love how you can use whatever fruits you want.
Don't know about hairy chutney but sound like this one will put hairs on my chest! Sounds delicious.
Chewy, is that you??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RL14KW5NHE
I love this chutney…my take on Major Greys…
http://motherskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/major-greys-chutney.html
Chutneys were always in my seasonal arsenal of preserving. The trouble is they last so darn long that I still have some apple chutney hanging around in the back of the fridge. Time to try this yummy looking one! Thanks.
I followed the Can Jam all year long even though I found out about it a few days too late to join in. Got some great inspirations and recipes and was delighted to see the last month's jam was dried fruits! Are you going to do it again and where do I sign up?!
Just wondering— did you mean 3/4 cup of brown sugar? It says 3/4 lb and we usually measure sugar by volume in the U.S. ??? I will be making this later today and wanted to be sure. Maybe it would work out either way!
dawn – i did mean 3/4 pound, you should be good with 1&1/4 to 1&1/2 cups. hope you like it!
kaela – love the video, why did i not see that before?
I broke down and made chutney, too. I agree – it's always soooo much better when you make it yourself. Can't wait to break into mine, too!
Thank you for inspiring me all year long!
I finally tried this and was amazed!! It looked SO nasty and I was SURE it was going to be gross as it also smelled a bit weird when cooking. I thought for sure I was going to have to give up and throw it out. I made a much smaller batch just for my fridge condiments and accidentally forgot the onion. YOU'VE GOT ME HOOKED ON SWEET/CHUNKY/HOT/SPICY CHUTNEY NOW! It was delicious and it totally just 'catches' your tongue! Thanks so much!
yoakumputer – i thought the same thing when i was making it! there's a point there when you are like, "yikes!" and then it turns golden. so glad you are hooked!