Chutney... and lots of it!

[StripyPixieSocks]

I always thought making jams and chutneys was going to be such a faff so never made any until now.

OH brought home some Asian pears about two weeks ago which were horrible so we made a spiced Pear Chutney with them and they tasted wonderful (I know you're supposed to let it mature but we couldn't wait). So on one of my shopping trips I saw some huge Mangoes at 2 for £1... the were screaming Mango Chutney at me so I bought two.

Here's what I made with them :D

A lovely jar of sticky, sweet goodness: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyblue1971/4061605617/

And for a perfect lunch just add home-made bread and some organic cheese: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyblue1971/4061605759/

I'm really enjoying making these and have a few more lined up including a carrot one for OH as he is insisting.

I know it's not the most exciting thing in the world but it cheers me up no end knowing I made it myself

[Loobyloo]

Hmmmm I love mango chutney! Can you post the recipe? I'd love to give it a go.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Here's the recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homema ... o_chutney/

HOWEVER... looking at the recipe now I think I may have only used one cup of sugar and it is still quite a sweet chutney but having said that my mental health is frighteningly bad at the moment and I cannot remember anything well but I'm sure I didn't use two cups of sugar but I can't swear to that.

Also, I used grated fresh ginger instead of the crystallized ginger (about 1tbsp-ish), used brown mustard seeds, upped the chilli flakes to 1tsp and use sultanas instead of raisins.

I didn't process it in a water bath either, I just screwed the lids down tight and they were well sealed by the morning (my OH could hardly get it off again!)

[Thomzo]

Well done. I bet they taste great.

I made some beetroot chutney about two weeks ago. Unusually for me, I followed a recipe, but it still seems to be very liquid. More like pickled beetroot rather than what I think of as chutney. Do I need to cook it for longer or does it thicken up with time?

Cheers
Zoe

[StripyPixieSocks]

I'm not sure but I think cooking it a smidgen longer might help as recipes are OK but one persons simmer isn't the same as another so I always take the timing with a pinch of salt as not all cookers / hobs are the same. Once the thing is cold it's not going to thicken up anymore I shouldn't think (although perhaps someone might know different as I'm by no means experienced lol)

When I saw (I think it was Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) making chutney he said you should be able to draw the spoon across the bottom of the pan and the chutney shouldn't run back too quickly if you see what I mean.

As it happens I think the timing on my Mango Chutney was about right but I think it's more of a learning curve to get right.

Beetroot chutney sounds lovely though, have you got a recipe please

[Millymollymandy]

Agree with SPS about timing as I've got a preserving book which often says to cook chutneys for '40 mins' you can't turn a big vat of chutney ingredients into chutney in 40 minutes, it is impossible! I cook for at least 2 hours (sometimes more) on a slow simmer!

Zoe I don't think it is going to thicken up so if it isn't very nice then you can't really lose by cooking it up again for longer.

And SPS - sometimes it is a faff - especially when you've GOT to do it (just wait until you've got a glut of veg ) .... but it's usually worth it in the end!

[Urban Ayisha]

SPS that looks SOOOO delicious! good work! makes me hungry.....!

Beetroot Chutney - from someone down at the lottie

2lb beetroot
2 medium sized onions
1lb apples
1/2 lb sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 pint malt vinegar or white malt vinegar

Boil beetroot until tender, peel when cold.
Cut into small cubes.
Peel onions and apples and chop finely.
Put them into the pan with the sugar, vinegar and boil for 25 minutes. Then add the beetroot and simmer for a further twenty minutes.
Bottle when cold (although i never do, havnt got the patience!!)

[Thomzo]

Thanks, Guys.

Sounds like I'll have to reboil it then. Shame as I've just labelled it all and now I'll need to re-sterilise the jars.

Oh well, we live and learn.

Zoe