Apricot Chutney

The brilliant thing about this chutney is that we’re using dried fruit. You don’t need to wait until you have a heap of produce lying around to practice the preserving arts.

The apricots add a lovely fresh tartness to the chutney.

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Apricot Chutney

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 kg dried apricots
• 6 onions sliced
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 400 g brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ginger grated

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Pop 7-9 jars in the dishwasher to sterilise.
• Chop apricots and place in a large bowl. Barely cover with hot water from the kettle. Stand.
• Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Add onions and cook covered, stirring every now and then for 1/2 hour or until onions are really soft.
• Add apricots and the soaking liquid, vinegar, brown sugar and ginger.
• Simmer, stirring periodically for an hour or until the chutney is reduced and chunky. Taste & season with salt.
• Divide hot jam between warm jars straight from the dish. Seal immediately.

shelf life?

Will keep in the pantry for about 12 months. Once opened will keep in the fridge for a few months.

variations for fun

hot chutney – if you like a bit of kick to your chutney, add in 1-3 tablespoons chilli powder.

fresh apricots – use about twice the wieght of dried apricots and skip the soaking step. Just chop, deseed and add straight to the onions.

different quantities – feel free to either halve or doulbe this recipe, the cooking time may need adjusting slightly with more or less in the pot.

budget – dried apricots can be expensive. Either replace completely with less expensive dried fruit such as raisins or dates. OR replace some of the apricots with less expensive dried fruit.

no rice wine vinegar? – feel free to use cider, sherry or other wine vinegar instead. Lemon juice will also work here.

problem solving guide

onions burning – reduce the heat and stir more freequently. Adding a little more oil or a splash of water can help things as well. If really black on the bottom, transfer the unblackened onions to a new pan and keep cooking.

crunchy onions – sometimes onions take longer than you’d think to soften. Just keep cooking and stirring until you’re happy.

too runny – with chutney there’s no magical pectin to set things so just keep cooking until you have a consistency you’re happy with.

mould growing on the chutney – this is a sign that something is wrong with your preserving system. It could be the jars weren’t cleaned enough in the dishwasher, the temperature of the chutney wasn’t high enough when you bottled. Or the lids weren’t sealed properly. Another problem can be if the jars aren’t filled completely. For now best not to eat the mouldy jar. Next time be more careful or just store in the fridge.

suggested uses

Great as an accompaniment to roast or BBQ poultry. Wonderful on a cheese plate or as a sandwich spread. Also great as an accompaniment to Indian food.

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