Mango Chutney

I first tasted mango chutney in the late 90s at Punjab Restaurant in Covent Garden in London. That was my first experience with Indian food and I loved it! Ever since then I've been exploring recipes, buying spices (Penzey's has nothing on me!), and filling the larder with many different kinds of chutney, all made by my own hand. It's become a late summer/early fall ritual, and one that I particularly enjoy. There is something so wonderfully cozy about "putting food by" when the weather has turned cold and nasty.

While plum is my personal favorite, mango chutney seems to be the one that even those unfamiliar with Indian food seem to know, so I make a lot of it and gift both guests and hosts during the holidays. It's a lovely tradition, and one you might consider.

Mango Chutney
(Printable Recipe)

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

2 large mangoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium sweet red pepper, diced fine
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced fine

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup currants

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped peeled ginger root

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Combine apples, mangoes, red pepper, sugar, onion, raisins, vinegar, and ginger root in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until fruit is tender and mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice, curry powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt; boil gently for 5 minutes.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle chutney into jars to within 1/2 inch of rim and process 10 minutes for half-pint jars and 15 minutes for pint jars.