Post by Sylvia on Jul 27, 2017 19:54:23 GMT -6
I searched out this recipe for my b/f who's Victoria Plum Tree is laden with fruit this year and she wants to try something other than her usual jam. Her husband is one of those guys who just loves the hotter the better stuff. I think the original recipe, which I have adapted over the years, came from Country Cottage Kitchen.
Spiced Hot plum chutney
Ingredients:
•1.45 kilos approx of sweet plums
•500 ml of white wine vinegar (don’t use malt or white vinegar)
•4 chunky cloves of garlic sliced fine
•175g of dried apricots chopped
•600g of white granulated sugar
•I lemon cut lengthwise into 8 slices and sliced very fine, seeds removed.
•1 large pinch of cayenne pepper
•1 teaspoon of coriander powder
•7 red birds eye chillis sliced fine, include the seeds
•1 tsp of salt
•1 tsp of allspice powder
•1 tsp cinnamon powder
•1 tsp ground ginger
•1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
•5 juniper berries
•10 black peppercorns
•1 tsp of dried chillies, chooped fine with seeds
Instructions:
The night before you want to make the chutney, put the plums in a large heavy bottomed saucepan/preserving pan and add the vinegar. Bring to the boil, cover and leave to cool until the next day.
Remove the stones from the softened plums*. Return the plums and vinegar to the saucepan. Add all the ingredients apart from the sugar and the dried chillies.
Bring slowly to simmering point and add the sugar. Stir constantly until you are certain that the sugar has dissolved.
Bring the chutney back to a good simmer and, after an hour or so, add the dried chillis to taste.
Stir every few minutes to stop the bottom burning (this is a labour of love after all).
Eventually depending on the strength of your simmer, the chutney will start to thicken (more like very thick soup than chutney) – mine took 3 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so. Test for thickness by putting a spoonful in the fridge for half an hour and take the saucepan off the stove during the test.
When you have a consistency that you like, very gently reheat the chutney and when it reaches simmering point pour into warm sterilised jars and seal with plastic lined metal lids**. Leave for a month to mellow.
* As the wife of a retired Dentist I am meticulous when it comes to teeth, I count the plums that I use (twice), some of the stones will float to the top after the initial boil, I strain them and remove the rest making sure that I have the same amount of stones as plums. Sorry may seen labour intensive, but you don't want to be surprised! I promise you the finished product is worth it.
**DO NOT use cellophane jam pot covers as the vinegar will evaporate and you will be left with something only fit for the bin.
Spiced Hot plum chutney
Ingredients:
•1.45 kilos approx of sweet plums
•500 ml of white wine vinegar (don’t use malt or white vinegar)
•4 chunky cloves of garlic sliced fine
•175g of dried apricots chopped
•600g of white granulated sugar
•I lemon cut lengthwise into 8 slices and sliced very fine, seeds removed.
•1 large pinch of cayenne pepper
•1 teaspoon of coriander powder
•7 red birds eye chillis sliced fine, include the seeds
•1 tsp of salt
•1 tsp of allspice powder
•1 tsp cinnamon powder
•1 tsp ground ginger
•1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
•5 juniper berries
•10 black peppercorns
•1 tsp of dried chillies, chooped fine with seeds
Instructions:
The night before you want to make the chutney, put the plums in a large heavy bottomed saucepan/preserving pan and add the vinegar. Bring to the boil, cover and leave to cool until the next day.
Remove the stones from the softened plums*. Return the plums and vinegar to the saucepan. Add all the ingredients apart from the sugar and the dried chillies.
Bring slowly to simmering point and add the sugar. Stir constantly until you are certain that the sugar has dissolved.
Bring the chutney back to a good simmer and, after an hour or so, add the dried chillis to taste.
Stir every few minutes to stop the bottom burning (this is a labour of love after all).
Eventually depending on the strength of your simmer, the chutney will start to thicken (more like very thick soup than chutney) – mine took 3 hours, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so. Test for thickness by putting a spoonful in the fridge for half an hour and take the saucepan off the stove during the test.
When you have a consistency that you like, very gently reheat the chutney and when it reaches simmering point pour into warm sterilised jars and seal with plastic lined metal lids**. Leave for a month to mellow.
* As the wife of a retired Dentist I am meticulous when it comes to teeth, I count the plums that I use (twice), some of the stones will float to the top after the initial boil, I strain them and remove the rest making sure that I have the same amount of stones as plums. Sorry may seen labour intensive, but you don't want to be surprised! I promise you the finished product is worth it.
**DO NOT use cellophane jam pot covers as the vinegar will evaporate and you will be left with something only fit for the bin.