This post is all about shelve items. As it is, chutney is only going to get better when you leave it alone for a while. The recipe was on the shelve for some time. The post was on the shelve. Even the pineapples were laying about for a couple of days, here's why.
On a Saturday market day I found two beautiful pineapples and knowing Floris and I love fresh pineapple took them home. We enjoyed a bowl of fresh slices and then I started to think, what if I made a pineapple upside down tart? Did the tarte tatin once, even made a pear upside down but never used pineapple....
I don't know what it is in this blogging world, but all of a sudden there were upside down cakes all over the place! Not wanting to be accused of copy-catting ;-) the fruit went back on the window sill. Rested my head in my hands and resumed fretting.
Cake? Nah. Bavaroise? Fresh pineapple and gelatin, no good! Candied pineapple? Hmm, not this time. Chutney! Yes! I love to make chutney. My family loves me for making chutney. They don't. They hate the vinegar wafting through the house, they don't even like to eat it. Why do I keep making it? I don't know. Luckily my parents and Dear Husband and myself love chutney, with cheese platters, paté, or grilled anything....
This is what I did:
Pineapple Chutney
350 gr pineapple (in small chunks)
220 gr apple (small cubes)
100 gr dates (in stripes)
½ ts piment (allspice)*
pinch cardamom (or 2 crushed pods)
pinch chili powder
½ ts salt
175 ml white wine vinegar but cider vinegar would be good too
150 gr light brown muscovado sugar
50 gr golden raisins
Makes 3 jars of chutney
In heavy saucepan, mix all ingredients except sugar and raisins. Cook over high heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, add sugar and raisins and continue cooking until pineapple is tender and mixture has thickened, about 20-30 minutes. Try pulling your spoon over the bottom of your pan, the gap it makes shouldn't fill up again. (Or dip your spoon in the mixture, with your finger make a stripe on the back of the spoon, this should not fill either).
On a Saturday market day I found two beautiful pineapples and knowing Floris and I love fresh pineapple took them home. We enjoyed a bowl of fresh slices and then I started to think, what if I made a pineapple upside down tart? Did the tarte tatin once, even made a pear upside down but never used pineapple....
I don't know what it is in this blogging world, but all of a sudden there were upside down cakes all over the place! Not wanting to be accused of copy-catting ;-) the fruit went back on the window sill. Rested my head in my hands and resumed fretting.
Cake? Nah. Bavaroise? Fresh pineapple and gelatin, no good! Candied pineapple? Hmm, not this time. Chutney! Yes! I love to make chutney. My family loves me for making chutney. They don't. They hate the vinegar wafting through the house, they don't even like to eat it. Why do I keep making it? I don't know. Luckily my parents and Dear Husband and myself love chutney, with cheese platters, paté, or grilled anything....
This is what I did:
Pineapple Chutney
350 gr pineapple (in small chunks)
220 gr apple (small cubes)
100 gr dates (in stripes)
½ ts piment (allspice)*
pinch cardamom (or 2 crushed pods)
pinch chili powder
½ ts salt
175 ml white wine vinegar but cider vinegar would be good too
150 gr light brown muscovado sugar
50 gr golden raisins
Makes 3 jars of chutney
In heavy saucepan, mix all ingredients except sugar and raisins. Cook over high heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, add sugar and raisins and continue cooking until pineapple is tender and mixture has thickened, about 20-30 minutes. Try pulling your spoon over the bottom of your pan, the gap it makes shouldn't fill up again. (Or dip your spoon in the mixture, with your finger make a stripe on the back of the spoon, this should not fill either).
Edit 1: As Anapestic reminded me: I store the chutney in the pantry. I ladle the hot chutney into hot sterilized jars and seal. Jars upside down for a couple of minutes to make sure every inch is sterilized.
Here's another chutney project using mangoes, it appears we both like our chutney to have the same qualities, on the sweet side with a hint of sour and still having some crunch to it. Funny thing is that I was rather disappointed at the dark colour of my chutney where Christine would like to have her chutney a touch darker...maybe we should swap?
*Edit 2: And Tanna pinpointed my confusion... proper names! I used a ground spice we in the Netherlands call "piment" which my ever so thoughtful spelling checker corrected as pimento...
So this morning I went back and checked with foodsubs which provides us with pictures and descriptions. Ashleigh helped out here as well, thanks!
Do you store the chutney in the refrigerator or the pantry? And, if the latter, do you simply ladle it into hot sterilized jars and seal, or do you process it further in a boiling water bath?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds terrific.
uh-oh, you're so right, forgot to mention.. I ladle the very hot chutney into sterilized jars and seal (turned upside down for a couple of minutes) just like you would do with jams/jelies. Thanks for mentioning, I will edit asap
ReplyDeleteI have never made chutney, but that sounds delicious. I have a precious jar of apricot chutney made by our mutual friend, Angelika, that I haven't used yet. I thought it might be good with some of the game dishes we like to make.
ReplyDeleteSue
This sounds like it's calling my name.
ReplyDeleteNow, re the cardamom when you say 2 crushed is that two pods which contain the very small seeds?
And I guess I am confused by pimento and all-spice. I know pimento as something that I find stuffed into spanish olives and all-spice is a spice I use in dry ground powder for cakes, so I don't know which you mean.
I've never made a chutney.
Tanna, you got me there! It's a translating thing of which I wasn't too sure of. I used a ground powder which is called "piment" over here, and yes, we call the red in the stuffed olives pimento too...
ReplyDelete"Piment" is a brownish ground powder which vaguely smells of nutmeg. In Holland it's mainly used in savory dishes although it might be used in our "speculaas"
cookies. I think the use of nutmeg-like spices in baked goods is more common in the US. Will look into that and edit.
The cardamom is supposed to be two pods, I opted for just a hint of cardamom instead of overpowering, that's why I used a pinch of ground cardamom.
This would be great on salmon or on fish. I will give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI would love a swap! :) I've never had homemade pineapple chutney but it's next on my list for sure. I'd like to try your recipe, if that's ok? :)
ReplyDelete