CHUTNEY MAKING – The Basics:

In chutney-making there is scope for individual taste and ingenuity in combining different ingredients to give distinctive flavours. Fruits such as apples, gooseberries, plums, ripe tomatoes and green tomatoes are bases for chutney, and onions, garlic, raisins, dates, salt, sugar and spices are added according to taste, the whole being mixed with vinegar. The vinegar, salt and spices are the preserving agents.

A good chutney, what-ever the ingredients, should be smooth to the palate and have a mellow flavour. The best results are obtained when all the ingredients are cut up finely and cooked very slowly for two hours or longer. It is often more economical on fuel to cook the onion and any tough fruit or vegetable until soft in a closed pan, then to add the spices and other ingredients and finish the cooking with the lid off.

The addition of raw materials, such as chopped onion or garlic, immediately before the chutney is bottled is not advisable as they destroy the smooth texture and do not give such a good flavour as when cooked with the other ingredients. The addition of part of the vinegar, however, towards the end of cooking economises on the amount needed.

Sieves and Pans.

Sieves used for chutneys or sauce should be plastic as many metals give an unpleasant metallic taste to the chutney. For the same reason the use of brass, copper or iron pans during the preparation should be avoided. Stainless steel plans are recommended.

Bottling.

The chutney should be bottled while hot in clean, warm jars. There is no necessity to use special jars for chutney provided a cover is used which will prevent evaporation of the vinegar. If the jars are only covered with paper, after several months the chuyney will probably shrink badly and the top layer become very dry. Lids with a plastic undercoating (vinegar proof) and heat sealable ring are provided for all the jars on the website.

Chutneys impove with keeping and should store well for two or three years.