Have I bungled my first attempt at chutney?

[perrinelli]

Wondered if anyone could help with this - took ages making some apple chutney (turned out v yummy) but now worried I've botched up the bottling bit.
The mixture was only warm when I put it in the jars which were still hot from the dishwasher, then it had probably totally cooled down by the time the lids went on. DH reckons it won't be sterile now and will go off as if it was opened. He said it should have been sealed while it was still hot. Does anyone know if he's right? Will it work if we reheat it tomorrow and put in clean jars?

I don't think you need worry. The chutney is a preserve and the vinegar and sugar preserve the fruit. If you were bottling vegetables and fruit you do need a seal, but not for chutney or jam. If the jars had just come out of the dishwasher the jars will be sufficiently sterile.

Don't worry. It will be fine. I've been preserving for years and have had loads of variations on your scenario- eg. mixture cooled down, jars cooled down, lids cold etc. and we've never been poisoned yet. Anyway, you're not supposed to bottle when it's really hot as it can crack the jars.

As long as you've followed the recipe, and the jars have been washed and sterilised, it will be safe to eat. Your DH will soon know if a jar is mouldy when it's opened, so tell him to shut up.

I bet it will be lovely.

Put the lids on when the chutney is either hot or cold. It's best not to do it in between to avoid condensation. I've taken short cuts (I'm sure we all have) and we're still here alive and unpoisoned. Salt, vinegar and sugar are Mother Nature's preservers. A swollen lid, mould, or bubbling/fizzing inside the jar will tell you that all is not well with the chutney. Jars and lids must be sterile though - preferably washed in the dish washer and warmed in the oven before potting.

I think the problem some people worry about is botulism (v rare) which can be a serious issue when a different method of preserving is used. This is when the contents are placed in the jar and the whole thing is boiled at a high temperature in a saucepan or in the oven to sterilise it. If you don't maintain the right temperature for long enough then you might encourage the growth of bacteria and resultant toxins. More info here on botulism

I think the fear is left over from WW2 and its aftermath when people tried unsuccessfully to preserve food.