Apple Chutney Recipe Question

12 years ago

I found this recipe at cooks.com(no tomato amounts given, though it's in the title!). Is there enough vinegar in this recipe, as it is written (without the tomatoes), for this recipe to be canned in a water bath? If so, for how long, in pint jars? If not, what adjustments would I have to make?

ENGLISH APPLE AND TOMATO CHUTNEY

1 tbsp. mixed pickling spice

4 1/2 c. minced onions (1 lb.)

3 1/2 c. diced pared tart apples

4 oz. raisins (about 3/4 c.) chopped

1 c. cider vinegar

1 c. dark brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. salt

Tie pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag. Combine remaining ingredients in Dutch oven, add spice bag and cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 2 hours.

Spoon hot chutney into clean glass jars; screw lids in place and refrigerate. Makes about 1 quart.

Chutney tastes best when made 2 to 3 days before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Chutney is delicious with cheese and cold meats, and is a particularly good accompaniment to Indian curry.

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Comments (10)

dgkritch
12 years ago
Maybe, but we have no way of really knowing.
This is designed to be a cooking recipe, not canning.
I'm not sure the time and resources are worth canning a product that can be kept in the fridge for 2 months anyway!

If for some reason you wanted to make large quantites, you could freeze it, but the texture may suffer.

I think I'd just make enough to last 2 months and then make more as needed.

Deanna
eahamel
Original Author
12 years ago
Deanna,
I solved the problem by making applesauce and freezing it, using FoodSaver bags.

Thanks.
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Sometimes if we don't answer a question right away it's because 1) We don't have an answer. 2) We're thinking about it. 3) We're looking something up. It doesn't mean it hasn't been noticed. To answer your questions, yes you can use dried red pepper flakes. I have no idea how much you'd need because I don't see the recipe, but regardless you can add however much or little you prefer according to your taste. It's not a safety issue. I would not use roasted peppers in the chutney. First, the volume is different so it's really difficult to come up with an equivalent amount. Secondly, the roasted peppers will change the taste and texture. Since apples keep well, I'd probably hold them until getting a fresh pepper is convenient or I'd look for a different recipe that doesn't call for bell pepper. When you do buy bell peppers, if you find them at a good price, you might want to buy extras, chop, freeze on a tray and then bag up. They keep well in the freezer and will work fine for a recipe like this (or any cooked recipe). They'll soften but by the time the cooking's done it doesn't make any difference and the flavor is the same. Carol
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Well, the BBB (thanks for the numbers, gardenlad) is roughly 13:2 high acid to low and the Dragan recipe is roughly 11:2. Apples range 3.9-3.3 pH; raisins range 4.1-3.8 pH. The onions and peppers are the issue. And the vinegar, of course. I found a Bernardin recipe (also tested like the BBB recipe) for an apple chutney which has a ratio of 2:1 apples and raisins to onions and peppers (actually more like 2:1.5). If you followed the same proportions, you could safely double the onion in the Ball recipe and still have a good margin with that amount of vinegar. Not that I would, just saying what's possible. I would feel comfortable making the Dragan recipe; I don't see a lot of risk. But that's purely personal and no one please sue me. I've had a sleepless night and I may have missed something. Going back to the original post, though, the question seems to be more, can the spices be transposed from one recipe to another and does that affect safety? The answers are yes, they can be transposed and no, safety isn't affected. The spices in the second recipe are pretty standard for chutney. My advice is to make the BBB recipe. Prep everything, but only put 1/4 of the batch into a pan and cook down with the spices you think you'll like. (Make notes!) Taste-test. Adjust. (Make notes!) Then if it's what you want, go ahead and cook the remainder; stir together and heat the entire batch and can. This takes more time, but if you're playing with spices, it pays off in less risk. Or the other side of the coin, you create something you love but next season have no chance whatsoever of reproducing what you made because you can't remember what you did. (Not that I've ever done that myself.) Carol
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flora_uk
12 years ago
If you're prepared to risk it Apple Chutney from any high acid British recipe does not need any kind of processing. I know this is heretical on here but I have chutney on my shelves from October 2010 which we will be eating for the next couple of years quite happily. The flavour improves with keeping. 2 months would be a minimum. But it must be a traditional high vinegar recipe designed to be kept in this way.
Here's mine:
5lb apples
1pt vinegar
1lb soft brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
8oz onions
8oz sultanas
8os stoned chopped dates

Chop the whole lot up roughly. (Not in a food processor) Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 1/4 hours stirring occasionally to stop it catching. It should be dark brown and thick with no liquid left from the apples. I then pot it into hot jars and cover with a vinegar proof lid. That's all. But obviously I can't recommend that on here.
mellyofthesouth
12 years ago
Flora, Isn't a UK pint different than an American pint?
flora_uk
12 years ago
I believe so. An Imperial pint is 20 fl oz. (570 ml). A US pint is 16 fl oz. (480 ml).

Here is a link that might be useful: Handy conversion table
John__ShowMe__USA
12 years ago
When I clicked the above link got this warning from my virus program...

Here is a link that might be useful:
zabby17
12 years ago
Flora,

Thanks for sharing---that looks lovely!

The worst likely to happen with a high-acid recipe like this if you don't process is a slightly higher chance of a jar that doesn't seal or that unseals itself. That still doesn't mean it's a high chance.

I'd be right over for some chutney at Flora's if it weren't for that durned ocean....

Cheers,

Z
flora_uk
12 years ago
Hi Zabby - I'm afraid to say the jars never seal! I just put on a jampot cover and a screw top. (If you just put on the cover the chutney tends to shrink). To add to my sins I recyle old jars and lids infinitum.

John - I don't understand the virus warning. The link is to the Official Delia Smith website, Deliaonline
John__ShowMe__USA
12 years ago
> John - I don't understand the virus warning. The link is to the Official Delia Smith website, Deliaonline

Flora,

Just clicked the link and is certainly fine today. Don't know what was going on when clicked it last Tue, but my virus program for sure gave me warnings.

I'm so sorry! Guess I should have kept quiet.

john
pixie_lou
12 years ago
john - twice this month I have gotten viruses on gardenweb. so maybe you had a gw warning, not a link warning.

Apple Chutney Recipe Question

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