Live Chutney!

Hey dear fermenters!

I tried an experiment in the autumn:

I made a spiced apple chutney, and when it was cooling down I poured a little bit of Live Cider Vinegar on the top of the jar before sealing.

No sign of life while sealed, but I opened it in the beginning of January and ate half the jar, then noticed a thin white layer forming on its surface. I left this alone for the past two weeks, now that layer has gotten fatter and starting to look a little bit like a Vinegar Mother! The chutney just underneath this looks a little darker / redder - as if something is happening there also.

Is it possible the Mother survived all that sealing and storing and is resurrecting herself amidst my spicy apple brew? Can Cider Mothers live in a more solid medium, such as a chutney? Will she eventually turn my chutney too sour to eat?!

I'm just playing and experimenting here but would love to have someone help me understand!!

See photos!

Love,

Charlie

What does the chutney smell like?

Hey, sorry I missed your reply!

Well it smells very sour, but when I tasted a tiny bit of the stuff near the mother it tasted weird - not very acidic at all. So it spooked me and I haven't tried it since!

If there's any further ideas, I'd love to hear them!

:) Charlie

Well call me a conventional old stick-in-the-mud but that is definitely pinging my "not edible - run away!" radar!