FOOD & DRINK

34 FOCUS The Magazine June/July/August 2020 www.focus-info.org

tory. the original chutney of india (hindi:chatni) was usually a highly-spiced relishmade from fresh fruits. During the colonialera, the British took the concept of chatnihome. on the long voyage home its nameand ingredients changed, with British cookstransforming it from a fresh relish to asweet, sharp preserve that is heavenly withcold meats and cheeses.

Chutney is one of the easiest home pre-serving methods to master – unlike jamand marmalade there is no setting pointto worry about and this preserve is not acase of mysterious kitchen alchemy.Instead it is a simple process and once youhave mastered the formula you can makeup your own recipes and combinationswith continued success. The world ofchutneys is full of endless possibilities witha seemingly never ending series of combi-nations and recipes waiting to be tried inaccordance with personal taste and theingredients to hand. Whether sweet orsour, hot or mild, made from fruits or veg-etables or a combination of the two therereally is chutney to suit everyone’s palette.I love the fact that chutney is a preserve

that is good for using up end of seasonproduce as well as seasonal gluts. Thosewindfall apples and green tomatoes can allbe converted into comforting chutney. Tothe chutney's base ingredients you addvarious spices and other fruits like raisins,sultanas, dates and vegetables such asonion and garlic for the flavour. The vine-gars, sugar and salt are there not just forthe flavour but are also the preservativeand will mellow over the months to makechutney that will transform any sandwichinto a memorable meal. It would be a mis-take to think of chutneys as a mere condi-ment that can spice up cheese andcrackers for a chutney can take a starringrole in a dish. Take plum chutney for ex-ample: added to a game casserole it cantransform the dish to a whole new level,whilst adding apple chutney to a cheeseand potato pie makes for a tasty supperdish that is warming and hearty. Indeedchutney is a busy cook’s best friend, forwhilst the pantry remains well stockedwith chutney there is never the need for adull meal.

Culinary history has plenty to teach us, es-pecially when it comes to preserving food.Circumstances may differ, times undoubt-edly change, but even in the age wheremost people own deep freezes and re-frigerators, preserving fruits and vegeta-bles is still as relevant as ever.

there are some fantastic historic recipesfor preserving, as well as some habits andtricks which we largely lost and can learnfrom to make the most of seasonal gluts.

one of my favourite ways of preservingfruits and vegetables is by turning theminto chutney. i can think of few things assatisfying as a pantry stocked full of homemade chutneys and preserves. i love agood chutney - whether it’s deliciouslytangy green tomato or rich plum chutneythe versatile art of making chutney allowsyou to savour the best of British produceall through winter.

with their ability to transform a hunk ofbread and some cheese into a memorablemeal, chutneys have come to be consid-ered a thoroughly British treat, but chut-ney is a prime example of how Britain hasbeen a culinary borrower throughout his-

The Pleasure of Preserving making the most of seasonal fruits and vegetables

FOOD & DRINK

FOCUS The Magazine 35www.focus-info.org

Rhubarb Chutneyfrom my book,The Pleasure of Preservingcomes one of my favourite recipes forusing rhubarb when you've tired of crum-ble. it’s a simple recipe that is delightfulwith mature cheeses and makes a fantas-tic finishing touch to curries. Ingredients:

2kg rhubarb

500g onions (peeled and diced)

500g soft brown sugar

600ml white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp medium curry powder

1 prepare and chop the rhubarb and place in a preserving pan with the onions with

half of the vinegar, salt, ginger and curry powder.

2 Cook gently for approximately one hour and then add the remaining vinegar and

the sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved

3 Simmer for a further 45 minutes to an hour.

4 ladle into prepared jars whilst still hot.

5 label and set aside for three months

Apple and Pear Chutneythis is a great recipe for using up windfallapples and you can easily adapt the spicesto suit your own palate and change aroundthe ingredients depending on what youhave to hand. if using windfalls as i do,remember to discard bruised, damaged orspoiled part of the fruit as it will inhibit thetaste and keeping ability of the finishedproduct. My golden rule is always, if youdon’t consider it good enough to eat rawthen leave it out of the preserving pan. Ingredients:

750g apples 500g pears Grated zest and juice of 1 large grapefruitJuice of 1 lemon3 large onions, coarsely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushedPiece of fresh ginger (about 20g), peeled and grated250g raisins 150g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped600ml cider vinegar400g soft brown sugar1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground turmeric½ tsp ground cumin

1 Peel, core and coarsely chop the apples and pears, and place in a large saucepan

or preserving pan. Add the grapefruit zest andjuice and the lemon juice and stir well (thishelps to stop the fruit browning due tooxidation before you begin to cook). Add theonions, garlic, ginger and raisins and stir againand set over a medium heat.

2 Add the hazelnuts to the pan and stir in the vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce

the heat and cook gently for 15-20 minutes,until the fruit is soft but holding its shape. Stirin the sugar until dissolved. Bring to a gentlesimmer and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirringoccasionally.

3 Meanwhile, sterilise 5 x 500ml jars. preheat the oven to 120°C/fan100°C/gas

1/2. wash the jars in warm, clean soapy water,then rinse in clean water. put upside down on aclean baking tray and dry in the oven for 10minutes. remove the tray of jars from the oven.handle the jars with a clean tea towel.

4 the chutney is ready when most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is

quite thick. remove from the heat and stir inthe cinnamon, ground cloves and turmeric.ladle into the sterilised jars whilst warm. Closethe lids to seal. Don’t forget to label and dateyour chutney, as once you have a few batches inthe larder it’s amazing how easy it is to getmuddled and lose track of what’s in the jars.

“I can think of few thingsas satisfying as a pantrystocked full of homemade chutneys andpreserves.”

FOOD & DRINK

36 FOCUS The Magazine June/July/August 2020 www.focus-info.org

Seren Charrington-Hollins is aprofessional food historian and author

of A Dark History of Tea. Websitewww.culinaryhistory.co.uk; Blogsite

www.serenitykitchen.com

Traditionally chutneys are made at theheight of summer and in the early autumn,because this is when the British gardenproduces bumper crops of fruit andvegetables, however, there is almost alwayssomething in season that will make a goodbase for chutney. Once you have startedmaking chutney you will never have adilemma over what to do with surplusfruit and vegetables and you will never bestuck for what to give as a thank you gift.

The Pleasure of Preserving: Inspired Recipes for Preserving Throughoutthe Year is available in paperback – priced at £12.99 fromindependent book stores or directly from the author by emailinghello@bubblingstove.co.uk

“During the colonial era, the British took the conceptof chatni home. On the long voyage home its nameand ingredients changed with British cookstransforming it from a fresh relish to a sweet, sharp preserve that is heavenly with cold meats and cheeses.”

Six Tips for Chutney Success

1Cut the vegetable ingredients into equally sized chunks to allow them tocook at the same rate.

2Use only stainless-steel or enamel pansfor making your chutney, as the vinegarreacts with other metals such ascopper and aluminium.

3Make sure the insides of your jar lidsare plastic-coated, as bare metal mightreact with the vinegar and spoil thechutney.

4 Jar health check – ensure that your jarsare in good condition and scrupulouslyclean. Sterilising the jars is a vital part ofmaking chutney that will keep. washjars and lids in hot soapy water, rinsewell, then place upside down in a lowoven until dry or put them through ahot cycle in the dishwasher. oncesterilised use the jars immediately. if thejars are sterilised correctly chutney willkeep in a cool, dark place for at least ayear.

5fill the still-warm jars up to the neckwith warm chutney, cover immediatelywith a lid. it is important to work swiftlyand cleanly. if you do spill or dribblechutney around the rims of your jarswipe them with a clean cloth dipped inboiling water, to prevent the growth ofmould.

6remember that patience is a virtue, sokeep the chutney for a couple ofmonths before using, thus giving theflavours a chance to mature and thevinegar time to mellow.

Tangy Green Tomato ChutneyOne of my favourite recipes is for greentomato chutney, which I remember mak-ing with my mother when I was youngand this recipe has been passed downthrough my family.Ingredients

2kg green tomatoes;

500g onions;

500g sugar; ½ – 1 teaspoon of salt;

1-2 teaspoons of mixed spice;

850ml (1½ pints) of distilled vinegar.

Slice the tomatoes, cut-up the onions andcook them together in a coveredsaucepan till they are soft. Add the sugar,spices, and vinegar and cook gentlywithout a lid on the pan and withoccasional stirring until the chutney is ofthe desired consistency.