How long should you leave homemade chutney before eating?

Once made, chutney can be eaten immediately but the flavours improve and develop if it is left to mature for a couple of weeks or even months . Store your unopened jars in a dry and dark cupboard for best results. Once opened, keep your chutney in the fridge and eat within four weeks.

Do you cook chutney with lid on or off?

It is essential that chutneys are allowed a long and slow cooking period in a pan that is not covered with a lid . This will allow your chutney to become rich and smooth.

What if my homemade chutney is too runny?

If your chutney is too runny or your recipe calls for a thickening agent, always use cornflour mixed with a little of the vinegar . Cornflour is gluten free. Always to this at the very end because thickening your chutney like this will make catch and burn easily.

Why is my homemade chutney not thickening?

If the chutney seems too runny, cook it for another 5-10 minutes and test again . You may also like to give the chutney the odd stir as you cook it, to prevent the mixture at the edges of the pan from catching.

Is chutney supposed to be cold or hot?

Typically, you would serve chutney when it has been set to room temperature , this is where the condiment is the best performing. We now know that chutney does work well with hot food, but pairing it with cold food can satisfy pretty much anyone.

How thick should chutney be when cooked?

The best way to test if your chutney has cooked down enough is to put a little spoonful on a plate in the fridge and let it chill for 5 minutes or so. If the liquid runs across the plate, it needs more cooking. If the liquid is quite thick and set, the chutney is done .

Can you eat freshly made chutney?

Cider vinegar and orange juice provide the liquid and the chutney is thickened by the apples and dried fruits as much as by the time spent cooking it. The smaller proportion of vinegar means that the chutney does not need time to mellow and can be eaten straight away .

Should chutney be left to mature?

Chutneys get better when left for a few weeks . They mature. So try not to eat them all at once. Be aware that it's often cheaper to buy jars with food in them (such as cheap jam) than empty jam or chutney jars.

How long do you mature chutney for?

Ladle the chutney into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with paper jam covers. Seal the jars while still hot. Leave to mature for at least a month in a cool dark place.

How long does it take to cool chutney?

The best way to test if your chutney has cooked down enough is to put a little spoonful on a plate in the fridge and let it chill for 5 minutes or so.

Spiced Plum Relish or Chutney Recipe - Tickling Palates (2024)

Published: Jul 23, 2014 · Modified: Feb 24, 2019 by Radhika · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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Spiced Plum Relish or Chutney with step by step photos. This plum preserve gets ready in just 15 mins and totally free of preservatives.

This spiced Plum Relish or Chutney is a blend of all tastes. Its tart, mildly spicy, sweet and a bit sour, all at the same time. You can serve it for dessert along with gourmet cheese or as an appetizer as I have shown in the pictures with salted biscuits and a cheese sheet. It works both ways.

You can also marinate any meat of your choice and cook it as your recipe calls for and in this case it acts as a condiment. Isn’t that really cool to have an all in one recipe?

And it took me just 10 mins to cook up this yummy relish. If you are making this for a party, I would suggest you to make it a day ahead as this one tastes even better the next day as the flavors and spices marry well with time.

I got introduced to a relish for the first time when I first attended my younger one’s best friend’s birthday party few years ago. Oh boy I was sold to the taste of it. It was an Apple relish and my friend J had beautifully arranged this dip along with cheese cubes for the all the kids with crackers, apple slices and salt biscuits for all the adults in the party and we all enjoyed it without a shade of guilt.

Points to note while making spiced plum relish:

1. You can also add raisins along with the dates but I did not have it on hand, so skipped it.

2. The tamarind extract is optional. Instead of that you can add 2 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you have it or you can totally skip it. But it gives a tangy taste and acts as a preservative too.

3. I always use seeded dates in all the recipes because they are soft and pulpy and will get mashed well while cooking itself. Seedless dates tend to be rubbery, hard and chewy.

4. If you want it to be more on the sweeter side, increase the sugar level to 1 cup.

5. You can also cook this in microwave.

I used Ooty plums here and I knew exactly how I wanted by relish to smell and taste like. I did not remove the skin of the plums as they were thin and I was sure that it would give the relish a rich ruby red color.

How to make Spiced Plum Relish Recipe:

1. Cut both the Plums and Dates and remove the seeds. Slice the plums thinly and chop the dates finely and keep both aside separately.

2. First step is to macerate the plums and for that, place the plums in a bowl, add sugar, mix with a spoon and let it rest for an hour.

3. After an hour, the plums would have started to leave its juice.

4. Add dry ginger powder, cinnamon powder and red chilli powder.

5. Add tamarind extract, chopped dates, salt and mix well.

6. Cook for 15 mins over low flame while mashing the entire contents with the back of a spoon or wooden spatula.

7. The relish would have to coat the back of a spoon and also it would look shiny and the consistency would be that of a jam.

8. Remove the bowl from fire while the relish is still loose as it will thicken further upon cooling down to room temperature.

As there is a contest going on exclusively for the participants of IFBM featuring “Plums” hosted by KitchenAid, this plum relish is off to it. Keeping fingers crossed.

Spiced Plum Relish Recipe details below:

Recipe