Sweet "Mango" Chutney (mango-less)

Based loosely on recipe 392 of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, I had to make a few changes.  I have a tender place in my heart for anyone who applies garlic by the quarter pound, I must admit that some of the other ingredient quantities were a bit unusual to the modern taste.  So changes were made to method and quantities but without Mrs B's little book, I wouldn't have thought to make such a scrummy chutney.

Here's a little note that Mrs Beeton gives regarding her version of the recipe:

This recipe was given by a native to an English Lady, who had long been a resident in India, and who, since her return to her native country, has become quite celebrated amongst her friends for the excellence of this Eastern relish.

Sweet "Mango" Chutney
All ingredients are approximate

3 large onions
drizzle olive oil
2 Tbs mustard seed
1 Tbs powdered ginger
4 dry chilies lightly crushed (seeds included)
a large handful of garlic
At least 6 unripe apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks less than 1 inch cubed.
1 cup raisins
2 cups apple cider vinegar or equivalent
1 to 2 cups of sugar
boiling water
2 Tbs salt


Chop the onions into about 1/2 inch chunks, in a large heavy bottom pot, fry onions on medium-low with olive oil until transparent
add mustard seed, ginger, chili and garlic to the onions, stir well, cook about one min
add apples, raisons and vinegar to the onion mix, bring to boil and then turn off heat
Mix 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of boiling water to make a syrup.  Mix until sugar is dissolved
Add syrup and salt to the apples.  Mix well and bring back to a boil.  Taste and add more sugar as necessary.  Boil on high for about 5 to 15 min or until enough liquid has evaporated.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.
Place into washed (and if you like, sterilized) jars, seal with lid as per normal.  Because of the spices, salt and sugar, I didn't heat process these jars.  Mrs B never did, she just tightly wrapped the mouth of the jars with sheep bladders.  But as sheep bladders are hard to come by these days, so it's up to you to know how to safely can your food.  If you have any doubt, keep it in the fridge.

---

From a very old blog of mine.

FINALLY, it's chutney making day again.

I'm so glad the recipe was still there.  I love this stuff.

Ingredients at the ready.  Jars sterilizing.

For some reason I remember this being more complicated.

It doesn't look very impressive at first.

But the smell!  So good!

So delicious

Next time, see about replacing more of the water with vinegar...maybe.   it needs to age a few weeks to be sure.

The most difficult part was making sure the food had enough head space.  I don't like it touching the lid as it seems to degrade faster.  And the instructions say not too as well.  In the reflection, it's easier to see how much headspace is there.

I feel if i used bigger jars, things would be better as less headspce needed per amount of chutney.   Or maybe the taller version of the 250ml jars instead of these wider 250....but with canning, one usually doesn't have the ideal jars this late in the season.

r ransom wrote: I feel if i used bigger jars, things would be better as less headspace needed per amount of chutney.

Yes, I tend to use those "micro-jars" for dry spices, rather than canning for exactly that reason.

That said, larger jars may sit in the fridge longer if you don't use it up fast enough, particularly if you're the only one that likes a particular food.

The chutney is now matured and delicious.

In total, this batch made 11 cups.  That's the advantage of this recipe, it's easily altered to accommodate what ingredients we have to hand

None of this will be given away.  Very tempting to make a second batch.

r ransom wrote:  That's the advantage of this recipe, it's easily altered to accommodate what ingredients we have to hand.

This also means that each batch may taste a little bit different. The apples may have ripened a bit more, the onions may have been a bit larger or smaller.

But that just means that the different batches could be used slightly differently, and they could go better with different parts of a meal.

Industrial food has to be the same *every* *single* * time*! Where's the fun and adventure in that?*


* Yes, I have friends who complain - they like one version more than another, and I don't measure carefully enough to be able to reproduce things exactly the same each time...sigh...

I love chutney... I guess as this one is a sweet chutney that's why it uses water as well as vinegar. Even so it is the vinegar that attacks the metal lids and is presumably the reason for the required head space. A little air space helps create the pressure difference that pulls the lid down as it cools too.

My version of chutney (recipe here using mashua) is a hot and sharp one. I'm thinking I need to make it in larger jars as I get through it so quickly! No need to refrigerate it either as a) the acidity keeps it fresh or b) my room temperature is pretty cool. I just use the same basic recipe with whatever fruit I have to use up (apple or rhubarb the favourite ones). I usually find the mixture needs boiling for a long time to reduce the liquid as much as I like. I quite like a smooth texture too. I sterilise the empty jars in a cool oven and pour in the chutney and seal whilst everything is hot. I never have a problem with chutney going bad with that much sugar and acid!

Damn I just got rid of a load of sheeps bladders I had hanging around..... - that part of the recipe was HILARIOUS!!!

For those of us who are new to the idea of chutneys, how do you most often utilize a jar?

Is it consumed on its own or is it like an accoutrement to certain dishes?

Thank you for the in depth recipe guide! It sounds delicious.

Timothy Norton wrote:For those of us who are new to the idea of chutneys, how do you most often utilize a jar?

Is it consumed on its own or is it like an accoutrement to certain dishes?

Thank you for the in depth recipe guide! It sounds delicious.

Chutney, at the time of mrs beeton's england, was also called relish, so that might help a bit.  It's something like a slightly (or very) spicy, chunky jam to be put on stuff.

Like mustard or apple sauce goes on pork, chutney would replace this.  It goes well with meats.  Yesterday I had some hot chickpeas that didn't get enough seasoning, so I stirred in some chutney.   Sometimes I use it as ketchup substitute.  HP sauce is basically began as a chutney byproduct so, chutney can replace sauces as well.

To be honest, like jam, there are days when spoon plus jar is the only way to go.  But it is a bit rich to eat alone.

When I was in England (150 years after this recipe was from), chutney was a sandwich spread, quite often with potato crisps (chips).  I didn't have courage to try this and always sort of regretted not.

I suspect there are ways to use chutney I never knew existed.

Oh, and it makes great poppadom dipping sauce.  

As r ransom says - chutney is great to accompany meats. I like mine as a relish with onion bhaji or vegetable pakora. It is also great in sandwiches - sausage and chutney for example. I'll have it with scrambled eggs. I also love toasted chutney and cheese (could be toasted sandwiches too) - yummy!

From wikipedia : "The word chutney derives from Hindi चटनी caṭnī, Urdu چٹنی chaṭnī,[1][2][3] from चाटना chāṭnā 'to lick, taste'." I believe the original chutney was a spicy vegetable side dish, not always cooked and eaten fresh. The Anglicised version is supposed to be better after it matures for a few months. I have no issue with eating mine straight away!

There are at least 3 jars of home made chutney in our fridge at the moment - a green tomato & apple; an apricot chutney and a plum chutney, not to mention a jar of piccalilli and store bought branston pickle.

I've never water bathed my chutneys, they get put into clean jars that have been heated in the oven and when they have cooled, I pour wax over the top which prevents the lids getting corroded by the vinegar. The chutney often shrinks as its stored and the wax layer also helps to stop the chutney drying out and/or oxidising.

They keep indefinitely at room temperature but once opened, I do refrigerate them.

Just checked and it's a nectarine and apple chutney, not plum😉

Edited to add another photo