Mango Madness!

I was introduced to mango chutney while over at a friends house in high school.  Major Grey's Mango Chutney served on a slice of buttered (although, at that time I think it was actually margarine) bread and to this day I still love it that way.  I have gone up in the world (a bit) so now I really like it on a nice sourdough with butter.  

I found some mangoes on sale May last year so I decided to make some chutney and came across this recipe.  Unlike most other recipes that I use, I haven't changed this one at all (okay, accept the cooking time since I like it really thick and the intense the flavour.)  

I recently opened my last jar of the 3 double batches I made May 2010 and a sale on cases of mangoes led to a requirement for more mango chutney to be made.  Greatly over estimating the amount of chopped mango I could get off on of these gigantor mangoes, so it ended up with each mango making 2 cups of chopped mangoes.  With each mango mango equaling 2 cups of mangoes it only took 3 mangoes for each recipe.  I ended up making 3 double batches same as last time, except this time I made them all in one day.

Mango Chutney

From: Closet Cooking

6 cups Mango, stoned, peeled and chopped

1 Onion, chopped

1 Red chili, chopped (I use dried small chilies)

1 tbsp Garlic, grated

1 tbsp Ginger, grated

2 cups Brown Sugar

1 cup Raisins

6 Cardamom Pods, crushed and ground

1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric

1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp cayenne

3 cups vinegar

-Place everything in a large pot and boil until it thickens, about 30-90 minutes.

-Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

To Sterilize the Jars:

-Wash in hot soapy water.

-Keep the lids in boiling water until ready to use.

-Place jars in 225F oven for 10 minutes and keep warm until ready to use.

Lee Valley Tools made the original wood rasp that became the sensation of the kitchen world.  I was one of those people who saw the benefits and versatility of the rasp.  I need to thank my dad for having the lee valley catalog delivered to our house growing up.  It does a bang up job on garlic and ginger.

Ladybug helping crush the cardamom to help remove the pod before crushing the seeds.

I know why cardamom is sold either in the pod or ground - The seeds has the appearance of mouse droppings.

For my third batch, I had prep up everything except the mangoes while the 2nd batch cooked.  This sped up the prep time.

All the lovely ingredients before the mango goes in.

I turned up the heat under the vinegar and other ingredients as I chopped up the mango.

Bubble, bubble, boil and trouble.  Yes, I know that isn't the line from Shakespeare but I had to be careful stirring the chutney.  If I let it bubble too long without stirring, it would start to rapidly boil and sputter when I did stir it.

Gorgeous jars of luscious goodness.

Jams, Jellys and Preserves

I have been feeling rather domestic over the last few weeks and it is the time of year where are the fruit is just perfect for making preserves.  So far I have made Blackberry Jam, Blackcurrant Jam and applesauce.  

Here are the blackcurrants bubbling away.  This is the first time I have made blackcurrant jam in years.  I kept the seeds in and simmered for 40 minutes and then added the sugar and let it simmer for another 10 minutes, after testing I needed to let it go a little longer.  I did it twice more, to a total of 30 minutes with the sugar in it. The natural pectin gels up the jam.  

Blackcurrant Jam

4 lbs blackcurrants

6 lbs sugar

1.7 liters water

knob of butter

Place blackcurrants in a large basin of water and remove stems, and dried up fruit. 

1In a large pan, simmer blackcurrants and water for 40 minutes.

Place a plate in the fridge to cool.

After 40 minutes add the sugar, simmer 10 minutes.  Drop the temperature down to low and take a small spoon of jam and place on the plate and return it to the fridge for 5 minutes.  Run finger through the mixture, if it is gelled and has a bit of a skin, if it is done then go to next step otherwise, reboil for 10 minutes and test again, repeat until desired results. (I did it for a total of 30minutes of boiling with the sugar in)

Add knob of butter and let cool for 5-10 minutes and fill sterilized jars with hot jam.  

Apple Sauce

Apples

Ascorbic Acid (Optional)

Cinnamon or other flavourings (Optional)

Core apples and and place then in a large pot with about an inch of water.   I left the skins on and put in through a food mill and that gets all the skins and tough bits out.  Boil until all the apple sauce is thick and smooth.  Sprinkle in the flavourings and ascorbic acid if you wish.  

Place into sterilized jars and then boil in a water bath with at least an inch of water over the top.  Boil 10-15minutes.  I have heard both but I aired on the side of caution and boiled it 15 minutes.

Delicious!