Traditional apricot chutney
This is a favourite recipe and the chutney can be used as a condiment with virtually anything. This is a great way to preserve the end of season fruit, and it is great with any curry and stews, and can even be used together with mayonnaise to make a quick dip for chips, or add tomato ketchup to the chutney and mayonnaise, and voila! You have an excellent hot dog sauce or sauce for a hamburger.
Ingredients
100 apricots, fresh or dried (in which case, soak overnight in cold water and cook the apricots in the same water until soft) cut into smallish pieces (approximately ¼ inch square)
1 or 2 onions, chopped
2 (or more) cloves of garlic
3 cups good white wine vinegar
1 ¼ (2.75 pounds or approximately six cups) kilo white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Boil the onions and garlic in the vinegar (use an enamelled or glass pot or even better, a slow cooker with a glass insert) until tender (± 10 minutes). Add the sugar, salt and spices together with the apricots and stew for at least half an hour to one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Pour into clean, hot glass jars and seal (do not allow metal to come into contact with the chutney, either while cooking or during potting) and store. The chutney can be eaten immediately, but improves with standing some weeks.
Now be prepared to give some of it away as gifts.
* tanktop (and NanceMuse) wanted to know how many 8 ounce jars this recipe would fill: The recipe makes approximately 5kg (or roughly 10 pounds) of chutney which should fill about four or five pint jars, depending on the size of the fruit. Apricots vary quite a bit in size depending on the variety.
StuartO))) wondered whether peaches would work. They make a fine chutney. You can also happily mix the two kinds of fruit. Check for sugar, though. Some varieties of peach may be a bit acidic.