Cranberry Chutney

Ah, the things that get discussed over dinner. Planning for the big turkey day, alas not like prior “Bad Wolf Turkey Dinners”, just my wife and myself this year.

Nevertheless, a discussion was had over cranberry sauce, and an agreement was reached that NO CANNED CRANBERRIES would grace our table this year.

Past that we have the battle of the sauces, and I’ll be replicating my famous chutney using fresh cranberries, jalapenos, and a plethora of spices. Whilst not a “true Indian chutney”, it is quite tasty and adds a presence to the table. Plus it will be an EXCELLENT condiment for those “left over sandwiches.”

From Wikipedia:

A chutney is a family of condiments or sauces in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys may be realized in such forms as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce.

A common variant in Anglo-Indian cuisine uses a tart fruit such as sharp apples, rhubarb or damson pickle made milder by an equal weight of sugar (usually demerara or brown sugar to replace jaggery in some Indian sweet chutneys).

Vinegar was added to the recipe for English-style chutney that traditionally aims to give a long shelf life so that autumn fruit can be preserved for use throughout the year (as are jams, jellies and pickles) or else to be sold as a commercial product.

Indian pickles use mustard oil as a pickling agent, but Anglo-Indian style chutney uses malt or cider vinegar which produces a milder product that in western cuisine is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats and fowl, typically in cold pub lunches.

Cranberry Jalapeno Chutney

Sweet, Tangy, and SPICY. Perfect as a side or a spread

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, British, Indian

Servings 8 people

Calories 249 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2-4 ea Jalapeno Peppers Stemmed, Washed, Minced, ADJUST TO TASTE
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Vinegar
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1 tsp Curry Powder
• 1 – 2 cups Water
• 6 cups Cranberries Fresh, washed.
• 1 ea Orange Zested and then Juiced, (optional)
• Salt To taste

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add sugar, peppers, water, vinegar, spices
• Bring to a bare boil, add zest and juice if used, reduce to a simmer
• Add cranberries, and cook until berries pop, (~30 minutes)
• Simmer on low to reduce (~10 minutes)
• Move to a heat proof bowl cover and chill.
• Season, taste, and balance. Looking for a sweet start, a mid tang, and a lingering heat, with overtones of spices.

Notes

DO taste your peppers, each of the peppers, they can vary wildly…  Three peppers may be quite bland and the fourth creates a lava like taste, to taste test each.

So many variations here, one can add a dried fruit mix for more natural sweetness and “jelly” factor, or leave more heavily on the spices, tweak the vinegar with either white, red, malt, or apple cider.

Should last in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.  (It won’t be there that along)

This dish will GREATLY improve in taste overnight, so make the day before and chill..

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 22mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 4gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Chutney, Cranberry, Jalapeno

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