Making Your Own Chutney: Step-By-Step Instructions

 

Secondly, finely chop about three to four large onions and five to six cloves of garlic. "Sweat" them over a low heat in a skillet with coconut or sunflower oil until they turn translucent. Add to the skillet with the onions:

 

Mix thoroughly, and leave it on a low heat for a few minutes. Then, add the whole mixture to your jam pan (pictured above!), which already contains the plums. 

 

Turn the gas or electricity on your cooker to a medium heat, and add about half a liter of vinegar. I prefer to use white balsamic vinegar, but any vinegar will do, really. Then you add a little less than a kilo of preferably brown sugar and bring the pan to a simmer, stirring slowly while your sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low, and leave the chutney on the stove about half an hour. Make sure to check in and stir the mixture occasionally. Your chutney will have a jam-like constistency once it's ready.

 

While your chutney is on the stove, remove your jars and lids from the water, and place them upside down on a clean tea towel. Let them drip dry. 

 

When your chutney has reached the right consistency (remember, you're looking for a jam-like feel), you are ready to transfer it to your jars. It is very important to complete the transfer while the chutney is still hot. If you have a jam funnel, I advise you to use it. If you don't, this can be a messy process. Using a (clean!) ladle, gently spoon the chutney into your jars. Keep spooning until a jar is nearly filled up to the top. Then, screw all the lids on, cleaned the jars' outside with a clean cloth, and then place the jars upside down and leave them like that for about 20 minutes. 

 

This is a key part of the process, because placing the jars with still hot chutney upside down will vacuum seal your product, enabling you to preserve it for a long time. If you don't do this, it will still go moldy, despite having sterilized the jars.

 

After you turn your jars the right way up, you will notice the lids make a clicking sound as the chutney cools down. This means your jar is sealed properly and it will keep for quite a while. 

Did you try to make your own chutney? Leave a comment to let us know how how it turned out!