In chutney-making there is scope for individual taste and ingenuity
in combining different ingredients to give distinctive flavours.
Fruits such as apples, gooseberries, plums, ripe tomatoes and green
tomatoes are bases for chutney, and onions, garlic, raisins, dates,
salt, sugar and spices are added according to taste, the whole being
mixed with vinegar. The vinegar, salt and spices are the preserving
agents.
A good chutney, what-ever the ingredients, should be smooth to
the palate and have a mellow flavour. The best results are obtained
when all the ingredients are cut up finely and cooked very slowly
for two hours or longer. It is often more economical on fuel to
cook the onion and any tough fruit or vegetable until soft in a
closed pan, then to add the spices and other ingredients and finish
the cooking with the lid off.
The addition of raw materials, such as chopped onion or garlic,
immediately before the chutney is bottled is not advisable as they
destroy the smooth texture and do not give such a good flavour as
when cooked with the other ingredients. The addition of part of
the vinegar, however, towards the end of cooking economises on the
amount needed.
Sieves used for chutneys or sauce should be plastic as many metals
give an unpleasant metallic taste to the chutney. For the same reason
the use of brass, copper or iron pans during the preparation should
be avoided. Stainless steel plans are recommended.
The chutney should be bottled while hot in clean, warm jars. There
is no necessity to use special jars for chutney provided a cover
is used which will prevent evaporation of the vinegar. If the jars
are only covered with paper, after several months the chuyney will
probably shrink badly and the top layer become very dry. Lids with
a plastic undercoating (vinegar proof) and heat sealable ring are
provided for all the jars on the website.
Chutneys impove with keeping and should store well for two or three
years.
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