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 Photo courtesy USDA/Scott Bauer |
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. green tomatoes, chopped
- 2 lb. tart apples, peeled and chopped
- ½ lb. onions, chopped
- 1 lb. raisins
- 3¾ cups light brown sugar
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tsp. four-spices powder*
- 2 tbsp. coarse salt
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 cups wine vinegar
* To make a batch of four-spice powder, grind a rounded tablespoon of black peppercorns with two teaspoons of whole cloves, and then add a teaspoon of ground ginger and two teaspoons of freshly ground nutmeg. Mix the powder thoroughly, and store it in an airtight jar on a cool, dark shelf.
Combine all the ingredients except for the vinegar in a stainless-steel or enameled stock pot. Add 6 T. of the vinegar and cook the mixture over low heat, allowing the fruits to release some juice. When the vinegar and fruit juices come to a boil, simmer on low heat, and add the rest of the vinegar gradually as the mixture continues to boil. Cook the mixture for about 45 minutes until it is thick, and stir it frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pot. When the chutney is thick, spoon it into sterilized jars and process them in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Store the jars on a cool, dark shelf. The chutney will have a more mellow flavor if you let it age in the jars for a few weeks before serving it.
These recipes originally appeared in Cheryl Morrison’s “Gifts from the Heirloom Larder,” an article in the Popular Farming Series: Heirloom Farm. To get a copy of Popular Farming Series: Heirloom Farm, click here.
Also check out Karen Keb Acevedo's book Cooking with Heirlooms for more great heirloom recipes!