Any chutney-makers about?

[OrzeiliHapiol]

I am trying to reproduce the caramelised carrot chutney that Marks & Spencer use in their delicious sandwich with Wensleydale cheese.

First attempt went a bit wrong. I got something like rock-hard toffee that had particles of carrot suspended in it. I had to chip out lumps and microwave them for 10 seconds to get a consistency that would spread.

Second attempt has swung the pendulum way too far the other way. It tastes delicious but really hasn't set/gelled. Either I used too much liquid or not enough sugar or both.

What I have, rather than chutney, is a certainly tasty, certainly edible, condiment which resembles very sweet and spicy soggy grated carrot.

My question is - given that I have 6 jars of the stuff - what do I do with it? Without the setting/gelling process will it keep while we gradually consume it or will it go mouldy? Should I keep the unopened jars in the fridge?

Would I be unreasonable to enlist the assistance of wider family and friends to consume this semi-failed batch so I can have the jars back and try again sooner, or do I have to wait till I have eaten it all as penance (or should I be horrifically wasteful and throw the contents of the jars away?)

Chuck the contents back in a pan, and re-boil up again until it ‘chuts’.

Interesting. Should I add more sugar or will the magic happen eventually without?

If it tastes good, but the consistency is too watery then re boil and re pot into clean dry jars

You may, at that point have one less jar!

I did a similar thing with a chutney I bought in a pub in Cornwall. After a lot of Googling, I found a similar recipe that I tinkered with, so got the right base, then played around with the additional extras.

Well, you don’t want it too thick like previous attempt, so I would boil it back up, see if you can get it to thicken up nicely in the pan, and if it doesn’t you could try adding more sugar.

If it tasted nice, don’t mess too much with the ingredients i’d Say

When did you make it? Chutney does need to be left alone in the jar for at least a month before eating.

Yes! It has chutted. Thank you.

I added just another tbsp each of lemon juice & vinegar for balance and 3 tbsp more sugar to aid stickiness then boiled it about 15 minutes and it's now lovely.

I know technically it should be allowed to age but I may not be able to let that happen with this batch. I guess if I make another batch sooner rather than later then that can be allowed to age gracefully.

I never eat Chutney till its three months old
I find about a year is best

It sounds delicious - what recipe did you use?

That’s great! How satisfying. Enjoy it

I guess if I make another batch sooner rather than later then that can be allowed to age gracefully.

Oh yes, you really should, the tastes and textures develop and improve so much. All that work and you're not eating it at its best!

I couldn't bear to eat new chutney, yuck.

Ooh some chutney experts! I agree with you, must be matured before eating. BUT, how long does homemade chutney in jars last? I have a massive stash. Some over 5 years old. Tastes ok.

And well done Op, glad it 'chutted'

Oo please post the recipe OP, I love the chutney in those M&S sandwiches as well, never thought of making some myself

enchanters
I have scoffed ten year old chutney. It does not go off.
My current stash is from three years ago.
I'll make another batch this summer (gluts of fruit)

apple and coriander - FAB with curry and in sandwiches and with German foods

onion and chilli - scary but also fab with curries

Would also love the recipe. I normally !ake Chutney at the end of summer, but I'd love a carrot based one.

On the same subject one of my French friends asked me what the difference was between Chutney and relish and I didn't have a ready answer. Does anyone know?

Apparently the only difference is that relishes have a shorter cooking time so that the vegetables retain their shape and colour more.

I'm going to have the word 'relish' on the brain all day now

Ok you have convinced me not to eat the rest 'fresh' but the half-jarful which I am already enjoying is going to be finished within a couple of days. Then I will wait before opening the next jar. Maybe only for a month, but I will wait.

Recipe still needs some refining so make your own tweaks. What I did this time was:

About 900g grated carrot
2 medium onions, finely sliced.

Enough oil to coat the bottom of a large saucepan.

Get the oil very hot to start with (so that the veg saute rather than steam) then chuck in the veg and stir to coat the oil all around. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add the liquid and spices (quantities see below) and cook for another 15 minutes.

Then add the sugar (again see below) and boil for (xxx no idea how long) minutes until the right consistency is achieved.

Quantities:
The semi-failed batch used 500ml water, 100ml lemon juice 100ml cider vinegar initially. I think that was far too much and why the initial result was too watery so I will be going for 250ml water next time but will keep the lemon juice and vinegar the same.

Spices - I used 0.75tsp each garlic granules cayenne pepper plus
0.5tsp each ginger, curry powder, cumin. Result is pretty good balance but could stand to be a little spicier - you can't taste the spices initially in the mouth but they develop as a warm after-taste. This may change as the chutney matures.

Jam sugar - I used 500g initially but added another c100g when it initially failed to gel. Not sure whether this extra would be necessary if I got the liquid quantity better.

Obviously all normal instructions about clean hot jars etc.

Thanks @TalkinPaece. My chutney was ruddy lovely after a year & I was concerned it would go the dark side before I could enjoy it again!

And thanks for that recipe Op. One to try in the future

Relish lover here.
Fabulous book - Dorling Kindersley, The Preserving Book by Lynda Brown, is my go-to reference. It tells you how to sterilise in microwave. Loads of different recipes and guidance on how to tell when things are cooked enough.
I use empty pasta / curry sauce jars for preserving. Have been known to buy cheapo sauce from Sainsbo's just for the jar.

@Bluetrews25. That book looks like a joy to look through. Thanks for the tip.