I’m so thrilled to include this recipe here! This beloved family favorite is from my Aunt Susan’s recipe box and is the perfect complement to any grilled chicken or meat dish (and also lovely on sharp cheddar cheese)! You’ll love how this Indian condiment hits all of the flavour profiles – sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy!
Aunt Susan's Out-of-this-World Chutney
In a medium pot, mix:
1 seeded, chopped whole lemon, rind and all
2-3 (or to taste) chopped garlic cloves
5 cups firm peeled chopped fruit*
2-1/4 cup brown sugar (dark or light ~ your preference)
1-1/3 cup seeded raisins (I use Thompson or Sultana (black) usually, but Golden is fine too. The objective in chutney is to use what you have in your pantry!)
3/4 cup chopped fresh ginger root or 3 oz. chopped crystallized ginger (I prefer ginger finely chopped, so I tend to put the roughly chopped ginger and roughly chopped whole lemon in my food processor and let it chop it nicely into small bits)
1-1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne or some chili peppers if you like hot
1 cinnamon stick
1 T cloves**
1 T whole coriander seeds**
2 cups cider vinegar (I buy an ordinary garden variety apple cider vinegar, preferably on sale. Since chutney is cooked a long time, getting fancy with this ingredient isn’t necessary).
*Mango, Plum, Apple, Pear, Rhubarb or Green tomato
**Some people suggest putting this in cheesecloth bags to take out at the end; I never bother and prefer the whole spice).
Bring your pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook uncovered. I tend to let this cook down quite a bit to make it quite thick, and the time varies with the kind of fruit. Pears and green tomatoes appear to take longer. Seems to me it usually takes about an hour and a half.
Do stir on occasion to ensure it doesn’t stick on the bottom, particularly towards the end.
In clean, sanitized jars, fill your jars, leaving 1/4″ head space. Make sure the rims are clean and then top them with new tops and tighten with the rings. Bring your pot of water to a boil and add the jars, water processing for 10 minutes. Remove and let them rest on the counter until you hear each one “pop.” Once cool, label them with the date.
Recipe by Susan Nickum
