Basic tips for making preserves: Lemon chutney recipe

While we are well past autumn, there are some year-round ingredients that can be turned easily into quick and tasty preserves or chutneys.

WHILE we are well past autumn, and thoughts of preserving, there are some year-round ingredients that can be turned easily into quick and tasty preserves or chutneys.

The business of preserving goes back through the centuries. Our ancestors did it to preserve food in seasons of abundance to guard against famine. In the process they created the most wonderful variations that transform fruit and vegetables into dishes or condiments that are stars in themselves.

These days we don’t need to preserve foods for the same reason, but it makes sense to create these tasty treats if we can lay our hands on the ingredients they require.

Chutneys are fun to make and don’t need too much expertise. They will last a long time in your pantry and many improve with ageing.

LEMON CHUTNEY

THIS recipe has a great advantage over those that create a produce overkill. It uses only three large lemons, enough for even the most timid family tree to produce, or maybe even buy from the local store.

Adding value: Lemon and raisin chutney. Picture: Dannika Bonser

As a result, it’s a chutney that can be made on the spur of the moment and is easily divided into smaller jars if you want to give some to your friends.

Of course, if you want to load your shelves, the amounts can be easily multiplied.

Makes about 3 cups

3 large lemons

2 medium-size onions

125g seeded raisins

Small teaspoon cayenne pepper

120g brown sugar

600ml vinegar

Salt

Peel the onions and slice them. Slice the lemons finely. Mix and turn into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and leave overnight.

Next day, turn the contents into a preserving pan or large saucepan with the other ingredients. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour, until the chutney is thick. Pour into preserving jars and seal.

VINEGARS AND SUGARS

THE general rule with making chutneys is that dark ingredients will give dark results. If you are after a light-coloured chutney, avoid using brown sugar or malt vinegar. The likes of fruit-flavoured vinegars will certainly impinge on the final flavour of a dish, so avoid them unless you know the flavour will complement the result. Otherwise, the choice between white, malt and red-wine or cider vinegar is yours to make.

COOKING

MOST chutneys will take about 1-2 hours to cook and you need to keep an eye on those that are tending to become dry towards the end of the cooking time. If things look like sticking, stir with a wooden spoon and turn the heat down.

The so-called setting point of a chutney is when you can run a wooden spoon along the base of your cooking pan and leave a channel that only slowly closes up.

PRESERVING TIPS

WHILE you may not set out to produce anything complicated, you will certainly reap the benefits of preserving by following a few simple rules.

Only use the best ingredients. Windfall fruit will not improve with preserving, unless you are meticulous and pick your way through the bruises.

Wash ingredients and dry them on kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Use a heavy-based saucepan lined with enamel or stainless steel. Don’t worry if your cooking utensil is too large. It’s better to have room to play with, as the intensity of heat that develops during the cooking process can be fierce and as surface bubbles burst they can splash.

Always use a wooden spoon to stir, unless the recipe calls specifically to whisking.

An easy way to sterilise jars is to run them through the dishwasher without any detergent and then leave them to cool in the machine.

Seal your results when the mixture has cooled.

Don’t forget to label. Strawberry jam isn’t quite as good on grilled sausages as homemade tomato sauce.

SPICY MINT AND CORIANDER JAM

IN A blender combine 1 packed cup each of coriander leaves and mint leaves, 1 green chilli, ¼ small red onion (peeled and sliced), 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Blend to a smooth paste. Add up to 2 tablespoons water if needed. Taste; add more salt if needed. Transfer to a covered container and chill for about 30 minutes. Serve cool. Refrigerate up to four days. Makes 1 cup.

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