One of the most gratifying sounds for me in the fall is the clicking sound of canning jars sealing up the fresh tastes of summer in a jar; it’s a promise that I can share and enjoy those great flavors, created by a season of rain, bees, sun and a few added ingredients, all year long.
A jar of chutney is an essential ingredient to any well stocked pantry, it will help you bring your food from blasé to bling in an instant. Spoon it over cream cheese or serve it beside other mild cheeses {Manchego is one of my favorites} to create a zingy~creamy appetizer with ease; spread it on sandwiches to bring them to life; serve it with pork, game or poultry to add a piquant punch to your platter; dilute it with water, wine, port or juice for a glorious glaze; and of course chutney is a core standard for any curry meal from the most basic spread to a full on 12-boy Curry.
This batch of chutney felt especially delicious to make because I used apples we harvested from our orchard on Orcas Island.
I modified this Barefoot Contessa’s Apple Chutney recipe {made with 6 granny smith apples} to create my concoction, generally quintupling her recipe to accommodate seven pounds of apples and yielding 12 perfect pints of complex, tangy, sweet, spicy, ruby colored chutney.
Because I am planning on using this for gifts and dinners during the holidays {thinking RED}, and I like a little more tart taste, I used red onions instead of yellow and dried tart Montmorency Cherries instead of raisins.
As far as condiments go, chutney is very easy to make {once you peel, core and cube the apples that is}, you simply add all of the ingredients to a large pot and let it gently bubble until the fruit is plump and soft and the flavors have all melded together, which takes less than an hour.
Splendid Apple ~ Tart Cherry Chutney
yield: 12 pints
Ingredients
7 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch cubes
{discard any brown spots or imperfections}
6 cups chopped red onions
4 cups Dried Montmorency Cherries
10 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
7 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
5 teaspoons mustard seed
1~1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
{use only 1 teaspoon if you’d like it mild}
4 teaspoons kosher salt
Preparation
Combine apples, onions, ginger, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, pepper flakes, salt and cherries in a large soup pan. Place over medium~high heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as it comes to a boil reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to an hour {I cooked mine for 45 minutes to keep it a little chunkier}.
At this stage, you could put the chutney in (an) airtight container(s) and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Or, can it using the jar manufacturer’s instructions.
I ladled the warm, fragrant chutney into sterilized pint jars as soon as it was cool enough to handle, filling each jar to about an inch from the top.
Then I cleaned off the lip of the jars with a wet paper towel and topped them with sterilized lids and rings.
Next I put them in a boiling bath of water for 10 minutes, pulling them out with this essential canning jar lifter. Minutes later, I enjoyed a symphony of clicking and clucking sounds letting me know my chutney was good to go to a dark, cool place until I’m ready to head to my first holiday party!
what flavors of summer would you like to preserve??
Delicious. We are overrun with figs, so it's fig chutney here!
MMMmmmm, Fig chutney, ever more earthy, textural and delicious. Plmk how it turns out. xo, ebh
Emily, you are an inspiration! This looks beautiful and delicious. I’m personally intimidated by the canning process, but perhaps this delicious recipe will inspire me to give it a go!
XO
Leasa
I recommend you try it. Canning is such a great way to preserve all the tastes of summer. Once you get started the possibilities are endless!! xoxox