Basic Chutney
How to make chutney with a basic chutney recipe that will produce the best homemade chutney. Make the most of the summer bounty of fruit and vegetables with jars of delicious chutney for the winter months.
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Servings: 90
Calories: 33kcal
Equipment
- Large preserving pan or saucepan
- spice bag or muslin cloth and string
- Ladle
- Stainless steel jam funnel
- Slow cooker or Crock Pot I used a 4 to 6 person (4.7 litre) CrockPot.
- 4 x 450g Sterilised jam jars
Ingredients
- 1 kg fruit or vegetables of your choice
- 500 g apples - about 3 medium apples
- 500 g onions diced - about 3 medium onions
- 200 g sultanas or raisins
- 1 tsp chilli flakes optional
- 25 g fresh ginger grated optional
- 2 tsp salt
- 400 ml vinegar
- 400 g sugar
- 2 tsp coriander seeds An alternative to coriander, mustard and black peppercorns, is a total of 2 tablespoons of your preferred spices.
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
Instructions
- Cut your vegetables and fruit into roughly the same size pieces so they cook evenly.
- Add diced vegetables and sultanas (and chilli flakes, sea salt and grated ginger if using) to a large preserving pan.
- Make up your spice bag by tying the spices in a large muslin square or use a ready made bag. Add to the pan.
- Pour in the cider vinegar, give everything a good stir and slowly bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir in the sugar until it's completely dissolved.
- Let the chutney mixture simmer for at least 1 ½ to 2 hours. Stir every now and then to prevent chutney sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Check for thickness by drawing a silicone spatula or wooden spoon through the chutney mixture. Your chutney is ready when it parts to reveal the pan base and this remains visible for a few seconds.
- Whilst chutney is still hot, ladle into sterilised jars and fill to within 6mm (1/4"" inch) of the top. Use the back of a spoon to pack down your chutney and remove any air pockets.
- Seal tightly with a lid and label when cold.
Slow Cooker / Crockpot method
- Follow Stovetop method steps 1 to 4 before carefully transferring contents of pan to your slow cooker and cover with its lid.
- Cook on High for 1 hour before stirring in the sugar.
- Replace the slow cooker lid but this time prop it open a little with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook on High for 5 to 6 hours.
- Check if your chutney is ready after 5 hours. If it’s not ready, replace the lid propped by the wooden spoon and leave cooking for another hour or so.
- Ladle into sterilised jars following the instructions in Stovetop method step 8 & 9.
Notes
- The basic formula is a ratio of 2kg of fresh vegetables and fruit (ie, excluding the sultanas or raisins) to 400 mls vinegar and 400 g sugar.
- The recipe approximately makes enough to fill 4 x 450g jars.
- The recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Just make sure you use a large enough preserving pan so the ingredients can reduce. Also, you’ll need to cook for an extra half hour to an hour. Quadrupling the quantities is not recommended.
- Don't be tempted to change the amount/ratio of vinegar, sugar and salt. They play an important role in preserving your homemade chutney as well as adding flavour.
- Keep at least 2 weeks before eating.
- Basic Chutney will keep for up to a year when stored in a cool dry place.
- Once opened, use within four weeks.
- Here in the UK, the water bath method is not generally used for chutneys. Jars and lids are sterilised before filling with hot chutney and tightened lids on filled jars form a vacuum seal as contents cool. However, if you prefer to use a boiling water canner, process for 15 minutes.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only. It is calculated based on using 1 kg courgettes as the vegetables.
How to use Homemade Chutney
- Serve with cheese, cold meats or your favourite burger.
- Add a tablespoon or two to your favourite stew, casserole or tagine.
- Puree a couple of tablespoons, add a little water and use as a glaze for your Christmas ham or roast.
- Puree a few tablespoons and mix with a little water and mustard to make a dipping sauce.
- Spread some on toast, layer with cheese and grill.
Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg