Chutney Time

Its maybe a little early in the year for traditional chutney making to start.  Usually it gets under way when there is a glut of things in gardens for people to use which would be starting September.  I no longer have an allotment, but we have a great market and also very good local greengrocery shop: Joe Richards.  It is when I see some fruit or vegetables at their peek of perfection that I feel it is time to preserve.

It is Chutney Making time chez Mrs Mace, for two reasons:  there is very little chutney left, and the jam jar cupboard is full.  The only chutney I had to give to my friend Diane when she came up from Stratford was a jar of Mango which had only been make within a week.

Friday was a massive Chutney making day.

I had prepared all the vegetables for the Piccallili Thursday night, and first thing saw me chopping some lovely small green and very fresh courgettes that I had picked up from Joe Richards.

Then it was all the onions, garlic etc.  Spices mixed and the lovely Biona Organic Cider Vinegar and time stirring it all together on the hob.

Now I need to prepare the labels, for the Courgette Chutney, and the Piccallili  and put these away in the preserve cupboard.  I may just enter a jar from each of these for the Autumn Shows, it will be just perfectly matured by then.

Courgette Chutney Recipe

This is a chutney that livens up a supper or a sandwich, and which I have also used as another ingredient in a salad.  Take some cooked chickpeas, add a few roasted tomatoes or red peppers, add a few tablespoons of chutney, toss et voila a dish for lunch.  Also good with couscous.

Ingredients:

1 Kg smallish green courgettes
600 g cooking onions
6 medium cloves of garlic
2 tbs salt
700 g cider vinegar
450 g soft brown sugar

Spices

3 tsp light mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 small red chilli

1.5 tbsp cornflour

Method

Wash the courgettes well, and wipe with a clean cloth, top and tail, then slice into small pieces.  I like to quarter the courgettes lengthwise, then slice into thinnish pieces.  Put them all into a large bowl, sprinkle on the salt and toss well.

Then chop up the onions into smallish pieces and garlic into very fine slices.

Add the onion and garlic to the courgettes and toss again.  Water is already being drawn out of the courgettes.

Add the mustard, coriander and cumin seeds to your chutney pan, and cook over a medium heat until you can smell the aroma coming up, but making sure not to scorch the spices.

Off the heat add the vinegar and sugar, and back on the heat, mix to dissolve the sugar.  Boil for about five minutes.

Take a ladel full out to a small bowl and blend the remaining spices, and add these to the pan. Continue to simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile drain the vegetables, which will have shrunk,  in a colander, rinse quickly under the cold tap, then push down hard to squeeze as much water away without bruising the vegetables.  You could use a salad spinner to do this.

Add the vegetables to the pan with the vinegar, and bring to the boil, then cook everything for about five to seven minutes.   You don't want a mush but a slight bite still to the onions and courgettes.

The liquid should be sufficient to give a good sauce, but well balanced with a good volume of vegetables.  At this stage, add a finely chopped red chilli and  take a little of the sauce and blend with 1 1/2 tbs cornflour, and return to the pan, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pack into warm sterilized jars.  Tamper down the chutney with the back of a teaspoon to make sure it is well packed down, and to remove any bubbles of air.  Fill jars to just below the rim, and cover with rustproof lids.

Store for a few weeks if possible,  to mature in a cool dark place.  Once opened keep in the fridge, and use within a month or so.