I had no idea what chutney is. I've occasionally spied it on the tables at the local farmer's market, but steered away from it because, well, because it's called "Chutney". What kind of name is that anyways??
I did some online searching for "green tomato recipes" and came upon several chutney recipes. So curiosity finally got the best of me and I read a few of them. Some had ingredients like jalapeno peppers, others had apples or apricots. Not being one that likes spicy stuff (to Paul's utter dismay), I wanted something sweeter. And as usual, I didn't follow just one recipe. I have a habit of taking several recipes and tailoring them to my liking. So here is my Green Tomato and Apple Chutney:
2 1/2 lbs. green tomatoes, chopped
8 oz onions, chopped
8 oz. raisins
1 lb. apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup molassas
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dump all ingredients into a large pot & simmer on medium heat for about two hours, or until thickened.
Wasn't that simple?! And as a bonus, the house smells wonderful - just like Fall! Several of the recipes mentioned that the taste gets better if you allow the chutney to sit for a few weeks. I, of course, couldn't wait. It. Was. Great!
What have I been missing?!?! It would be great on little crackers, or on top of porkchops or a pork roast. And honestly, I can even see a somewhat-spicy chutney recipe in the future.
If you were going to eat this right away or keep it in the fridge, you wouldn't have to water-bath can the chutney, but since I was hoping to give a few away as Christmas gifts, I figured I should be safe and do so (ten minutes). Nothing like accidentally giving your friends botulism for the holiday.
I'm right with you in never having been exposed to chutney (although I like to say the name) so have never been big and brave enough to try a recipe for it. Now you've got me thinking I could be a closet chutney lover, too. ;o]
ReplyDeleteI just picked a lot of green tomatoes last evening. I may give this one a try. I also want to do a green tomato mincemeat recipe.
ReplyDeleteYep, chutney is a GOOD thing! I have a recipe for a pineapple chutney that my ex-mother-in-law gave me many years ago that is also very yummy, especially on ham!
ReplyDeleteP.S. A jelly jar is usually 8 ounces. :)
That looks great, Carolyn. What a good idea to use up your green tomatoes. I like to make plum chutney, when we can find a source of free plums to go and pick. None this year, though. You are so right about chutney making the house smell yummy--very much like fall.
ReplyDeleteI love chutney! It's great with meat, butternut squash, etc. And with cream cheese! Of course, everything's good with cream cheese.
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