How to Make Your Own Chutney
This chutney recipe and instructions can be made with peaches or pears.
It is peach season.
Trust me, I know. When we bought our farm it had a peach grove on it that included over 150 peach trees. That’s one hundred and fifty peach trees. Let me tell you, that’s a lot of peaches. I know how to use a peach at least 50 different ways. Peach season disappears as quickly as it shows up. Once the peaches start to turn you have about 4 weeks of ‘manna from heaven’ before it’s all over.
Our grove is older and substantially smaller today, but still gives us more peaches than we know what to do with.
If you don’t have a peach grove – you can probably find some for sale at a farmers market or a country roadside stand near you. Peaches are everywhere in Kentucky right now on the cheap because the growers have to move them before they go bad.
Peach Chutney is one of my favorite ways to use peaches.
First, if you are scratching your head thinking, “Chutney who?”
Let me show you to the light. Chutney is the shebang. It’s sweet, savory, sour, spicy – it’s the whole enchilada.
What do you do with Peach Chutney?
Serve with pork chops, fish, lamb or game meats. Turn any toasted sandwich into a flavor explosion. Dilute it with some water and use it as a glaze for chicken, duck or other poultry dish. It even makes a great dipping sauce for tempura.
BUT my very favorite way to eat chutney is as a fall/ holiday dip.
For an irresistible party spread, serve homemade chutney over cream cheese. Top with crunchy bacon bits, fresh chives and a side of your favorite crackers.
You won’t even know how you lived without it.
It’s a classic appetizer. It’s a dish that has often been served as a teaser at Fall gatherings, Thanksgiving and even a super addition to Christmas time parties.
It just screams fall because it’s orange, it’s full of earthy spicy flavors and it’s a bounty of garden loot.
What you’ll need:
- Peaches
- Garlic
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Turbinado Sugar, Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar
- Hot Red pepper
- Onions
- Ginger
- Salt
- Raisins
- Mustard Seed
Let’s Go!
First prep the peaches. First wash them well. You can peel them. You can blanch them. You can leave the skins on if you want (I did).
Once your peaches are washed and pitted it’s time to dice.
I used my chopper to pound them into bits. Easy. Fast.
Next dice up some onions & mince some fresh garlic (2 fat cloves).
Last, dice up the red hot peppers. Heat – Yes!
If you don’t want it as hot, remove the seeds & membranes.
Don’t hurt yourself – these are hot. They can burn your skin. Wear gloves to protect yourself.
Now we are going to toss everything in the giant stock pot with the diced peaches. This is the easy part!
Add the chopped onions, minced garlic, sugar, raisins, mustard seed, ginger, salt, vinegar & red pepper to the pot & stir to combine.
Now, it just needs to cook.
The color is going to deepen and the contents are going to “cook down.”
Cook until chutney is thick and sheets off the back of a spoon.
Fill sanitized, hot jars. Adjust lids & rings. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes & you’re set!
For easy detailed step-by-step canning instructions go here.
It’s a dipping sauce, it’s a glaze, it’s a topping, it’s a party spread, it’s fabulous.
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-Candi
| Servings |
batch
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- 4 quarts peaches peeled, pitted, chopped fine
- 3 cups brown sugar or turbinado
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup onion chopped fine
- 2 tbsp ginger powdered
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup mustard seed
- 2-3 hot chili peppers minced
- 4 cups vinegar I use raw apple cider vinegar
Ingredients
|
|
Throw all ingredients into a giant pot with a heavy bottom. Simmer until thick (at my house this was 4 hours). Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot chutney into hot jars. Leave 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust 2 piece caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Water bath canning instructions here.
Note: I remove seeds and membranes from hot peppers – for hotter chutney – leave them in. Be careful – peppers can burn your skin. Wearing gloves will help you not to have hot pepper oil in your eye in an hour. ?
Disclaimer: Always follow directions specific to your equipment and elevation for canning. Dispose of any home canned goods that show signs of spoilage which can include: bulging lids, leaking, corrosion, cloudy, mushy, moldy foods or disagreeable odors.
