Organic Insights Magazine - Summer 2022

Organic Insights / Summer 2022 / 23

@mandyhallfood

the christmas chutney of your dreams…

mandy hall

‘Tis the Season….to make the Christmas Chutney of your dreams! To be perfectly honest, I am not sure why I leave making this Chutney until Christmas! It truly is the best allrounder, very simple to make and the perfect accompaniment to almost anything.

Ingredients 700g tomatoes (you can use a mix of fresh and

Method You don’t have to peel the tomatoes, but I like to, and it’s very easy to do. Turn the tomato over so the stem area is facing down and with a sharp knife, make a skin-deep large X cut in the base of the tomatoes. Boil the kettle, put the tomatoes in a large heatproof bowl, or saucepan, and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes. Leave for 30 seconds; drain and run cold water over the tomatoes. The skin should now easily peel away. Place all the ingredients into a large, heavy-based pot and heat over a medium flame. Stir gently until all the sugar has dissolved, increasing the heat to bring mixture to the boil. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to very low and cook, stirring occasionally for approximately 60 minutes. The chutney is ready when the mixture is very thick, and all ingredients are soft and breaking down. Let the Chutney cool. Pour into clean, sterilised jars, seal with lid and store in the refrigerator for up to one month (if you have any that lasts that long)! Merry Christmas! lovefermentsandfood.com.au

Versatility is the key, when you think of cheese platters, ham, Christmas Day leftover toasties; using pork, turkey, or anything that needs a sweet, savoury, salty, or sour accompaniment. So, in essence, what I’m saying is that it goes with everything! There are a few ingredients to gather, but the process is very easy. Place all ingredients into the pot at the same time, a long slow cook, some clean jars, and before you know it, you will have made 1.5 kilos of the most flavoursome Christmas Chutney, enough for you and perhaps a few gifts for family or friends. I don’t know about you, but I love receiving homemade preserves, it makes me feel loved and thought of, and to me it’s far more special than anything bought. Always taste the end result before you seal the jar, and make sure that you are happy with the balance of flavours, as you can always adjust to taste. Merry Christmas to you and yours and may this truly be the Christmas Chutney of your dreams!

canned) – chopped 500g brown onion,

thinly sliced or chopped 1 large apple – peeled, cored and chopped 3 garlic cloves crushed 120g sultanas 250g brown sugar 250ml white wine vinegar 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp mustard powder 2 tsp curry powder 1.5 TBSP sea salt (maybe slightly more after tasting)