Now I'm canning this, but if you just want a whole bunch of chutney you can use the recipe and just skip the canning part. It makes a little over 4 pints.
I'm new to this whole canning thing, maybe you are too, so I'm going to go step by step.
1. Prep your jars.
You'll need to sterilize and heat your jars before you fill them. You can do this a couple different ways.
a) put them in a large pot and fill with hot water to a couple of inches above the jars and bring to a boil.
b) use the dishwasher's top rack.
since I like to have plenty of space when I'm working and I don't want two huge pots on the stove, I'm using the dishwasher. Also, the 2 hour cycle time gives me just what I need to prep and cook my chutney.
which brings us to step 2.
2. Gather your ingredients
I'm doing this the way I do all of my cooking...throw whatever I have into a pot and hope for the best. (There are more exact recipes out there, but I'm gonna show you how I do it.)
*6 large mangoes
*1 large white onion, I'm using vidalia
*1/2 cup of some other fruit that's dried, you can use cranberries, apples, apricot, etc...I'm using raisins because that's what I have on hand. Remember, if you're doing the "clean" version, be sure to use the kind that are sweetened using juice instead of sugar.
*1 knuckle of fresh ginger root, that's about 1 inch
*1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar (most recipes call for 1 cup but with all the juice the mango oozes out in the cooking I just don't think you need that much liquid)
*1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* sweetener-- recipes say 2 cups of sugar but, since I'm making this for my honey and I want him to live a long and healthy life, I'm using just that = honey, 1 cup should do...and, as always, GO LOCAL!
*you can also add crushed red pepper if you want but that's completely optional. Just add to taste
3. Set up your work space and chop chop.
Make yourself comfortable, you're gonna be here a while. You'll need a couple sharp knives, chopping board, large bowl for your goodies, and another large bowl for your scraps to take to the compost bin. You also might want a candle to help combat the onion power. And a glass of wine always helps. I'm opting for a glass of ice water with a few of my mango chunks thrown in.
Dice your onion pretty small and then start in on the mango. I've found that a potato peeler works great for peeling mangoes, much better and faster than a knife and you're going to need it later for the ginger anyway. Also, the potato peeler does an excellent job of peeling knuckles, so BE CAREFUL. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Peel and chop your mango and throw it in the bowl. Next, chop your other fruit and peeled ginger. Since I'm the least graceful person on the planet and I've already got one band-aid on from this adventure, I'm opting to use the grater on my ginger. You can do it either way.
4. Sweeten the pot.
Toss all your chopped up goodness into a large pot and then add your seasonings, vinegar, and honey (or sugar, naughty naughty!!)
Bring all of this to a boil in a covered pot. Make sure to stir it every few minutes and watch your heat because it WILL stick to the bottom and burn and really really tick you off. (sounds like I might be speaking from experience huh?) Once it's boiling, remove the lid and lower the heat to mid and just let it simmer and cook down in it's own syrup for about 35 minutes or so. Don't forget to stir!
Voila! You've just made chutney! Go you!
5. Fill your jars
Now that all your jars are done, put them in the pot of water. Use tongs!! Make sure you've got a couple of inches of water to cover the jars, then bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, set your timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and leave them in the water for another 5 minutes.
1. Prep your jars.
You'll need to sterilize and heat your jars before you fill them. You can do this a couple different ways.
a) put them in a large pot and fill with hot water to a couple of inches above the jars and bring to a boil.
b) use the dishwasher's top rack.
since I like to have plenty of space when I'm working and I don't want two huge pots on the stove, I'm using the dishwasher. Also, the 2 hour cycle time gives me just what I need to prep and cook my chutney.
which brings us to step 2.
2. Gather your ingredients
I'm doing this the way I do all of my cooking...throw whatever I have into a pot and hope for the best. (There are more exact recipes out there, but I'm gonna show you how I do it.)
*6 large mangoes
*1 large white onion, I'm using vidalia
*1/2 cup of some other fruit that's dried, you can use cranberries, apples, apricot, etc...I'm using raisins because that's what I have on hand. Remember, if you're doing the "clean" version, be sure to use the kind that are sweetened using juice instead of sugar.
*1 knuckle of fresh ginger root, that's about 1 inch
*1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar (most recipes call for 1 cup but with all the juice the mango oozes out in the cooking I just don't think you need that much liquid)
*1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* sweetener-- recipes say 2 cups of sugar but, since I'm making this for my honey and I want him to live a long and healthy life, I'm using just that = honey, 1 cup should do...and, as always, GO LOCAL!
*you can also add crushed red pepper if you want but that's completely optional. Just add to taste
3. Set up your work space and chop chop.
Make yourself comfortable, you're gonna be here a while. You'll need a couple sharp knives, chopping board, large bowl for your goodies, and another large bowl for your scraps to take to the compost bin. You also might want a candle to help combat the onion power. And a glass of wine always helps. I'm opting for a glass of ice water with a few of my mango chunks thrown in.
Dice your onion pretty small and then start in on the mango. I've found that a potato peeler works great for peeling mangoes, much better and faster than a knife and you're going to need it later for the ginger anyway. Also, the potato peeler does an excellent job of peeling knuckles, so BE CAREFUL. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Peel and chop your mango and throw it in the bowl. Next, chop your other fruit and peeled ginger. Since I'm the least graceful person on the planet and I've already got one band-aid on from this adventure, I'm opting to use the grater on my ginger. You can do it either way.
4. Sweeten the pot.
Toss all your chopped up goodness into a large pot and then add your seasonings, vinegar, and honey (or sugar, naughty naughty!!)
Bring all of this to a boil in a covered pot. Make sure to stir it every few minutes and watch your heat because it WILL stick to the bottom and burn and really really tick you off. (sounds like I might be speaking from experience huh?) Once it's boiling, remove the lid and lower the heat to mid and just let it simmer and cook down in it's own syrup for about 35 minutes or so. Don't forget to stir!
Voila! You've just made chutney! Go you!
5. Fill your jars
Go ahead and start a large pot of hot water, you'll need enough space to fit your jars and enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Take a smaller saucepan and put your lids- just lids, not bands- for jars on to simmer on the back burner. You don't want to boil them as this will weaken the seal, you just want a simmer so they'll be hot. While those are heating, lay a towel down to protect your jars and make cleanup easier. Then, using a pot holder, grab your hot jars from the dishwasher and fill them with your hot chutney. Make sure you leave about 1/4 head space. Then wipe the rim of each jar with a damp cloth to get rid of any drips and make sure you'll get a good seal. Using a magnet wand, or tongs, quickly remove lid from water, dry, and place on jars. Do this one at a time to retain the heat. Then put your bands on. Finger-tight will do. If you put the bands on too tight your lids will warp in the boiling and you'll have to reprocess them. Trust me. Been there.
Leave a little head space
Now that all your jars are done, put them in the pot of water. Use tongs!! Make sure you've got a couple of inches of water to cover the jars, then bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, set your timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and leave them in the water for another 5 minutes.
Remove your jars from the water and place on the toweled counter with a few inches between so they've got space to cool. As the jars cool, you'll hear the "pop" of the lid sealing on top.
Look at how lovely your jars look and give yourself a little pat on the back. You did it!
Now walk away.
:)
In 12 hours or so, but not more than 24, check your seals. Just press your finger onto the middle of the lid. it shouldn't go up and down. If it does, don't worry. You can empty it out, reheat the chutney and jar and reprocess it the way that you did before using a new lid. If all your seals are good, you're done. They're ready to label and store or give as gifts.
Enjoy!
Thanks for joining me!
Brava!!! I love it and I can't wait to try it. (Hint, hint)
ReplyDelete