Chutney, a tale in two parts

Unsurprisingly, I still had both rhubarb and blueberries left over from my jam session. I could have made more jam, but I’m still in the honeymoon stage of canning and want nothing more than LOTS of variety. I settled on chutney–something I wasn’t all that crazy about before–when I found a recipe for Blueberry Chutney in a Better Homes and Gardens canning cookbook. The internet was quick in turning up an ‘upscale’ version of rhubarb chutney, which I modified with more acid to make it a little more canning friendly.

Blueberry Chutney in the making--so pretty!

Of course, the untested internet recipe turned out beautifully–rich and complex–whereas the popularly published one was problematic and monotone. Ol’ Better Homes had so much vinegar in it, it took two times longer than the 20 minutes called for in the recipe to reduce–at a full boil! I ended up slightly burning it toward the end, but decided that it was still pretty darn tasty, so I canned the batch anyway. Unfortunately, I think the blueberry chutney is still a pale shadow of what it could have been. Around the 20 minute mark, I tasted it and thought it was fantastic, but soupy. The onions were soft and the basil/blueberry combination was incredible. Unfortunately, all that got muddled nearly an hour later. This is a recipe that needs some tinkering.  Or I could try my hand at this one in the future.

But, for your enjoyment, here are the recipes:

Blueberry Chutney

Better Homes and Gardens Blueberry Chutney

2 tart cooking apples, cored and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 tsp snipped fresh basil leaves
2 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 cups frozen unsweetened blueberries, thawed

In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine apples, onion, and basil. Add vinegar and brown sugar. Heat over low heat. Meanwhile, rinse blueberries, discarding any that are blemished; drain. Add the berries to the vinegar mixture in the Dutch oven. Heat the mixture to boiling, then reduce the heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.

Ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and adjust the two part lids. Process the filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and cool on racks or on a wooden cutting board.

Makes 6 half pints.

Rhubarb Chutney

Rhubarb Chutney

1 pound rhubarb stalks, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices (approx. 4 cups)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (approx. 1 cup)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup pitted dates, chopped fine
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tsp coarse grain mustard
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white vinegar

Cook the rhubarb, onion, and sugar in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved into the juices released by the rhubarb and onion. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender and begins to break down, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the remainder of the ingredients and return the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chutney has thickened, 15-20 minutes.

Ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims and adjust the two part lids. Process the filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and cool on racks or on a wooden cutting board.

Makes 5 half pints.

Post-pickle jam session

Oh Lordy. I got bit by the canning bug. I’m beginning to think that only a bout of botulism will dampen my ardor. Canning is downright fun and beyond gratifying. I can spend a whole day baking a cake (and breaking my foot, apparently), and the fruits of my labor will be gone in approximately 20 minutes. But if I spend that day canning, I can have said fruits at my disposal for a year or more. Nothing can beat that feeling of “I did this” when you see all those jars lined up.

Yup. I got bit by the bug and there’s no going back. A few days ago, I had to get another fix. I still haven’t secured a good basic canning book yet, so I returned to the internet and found a recipe for blueberry-rhubarb jam. Canning? Check. Foodie obtuseness? Check. Ingredients? Check. We are go for launch.

And by damn, I can jam! I think it may have turned out a little sweet for my tastes–indeed, I’m at a loss to really find that rhubarb–but it makes the blueberry shine like a fresh pie.

The best darn blueberry-rhubarb jam I've ever made!

Blueberry-Rhubarb Jam

3½ cups rhubarb, coarsely chopped
½ cup water
2¼ cups blueberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 57g box regular Certo powdered fruit pectin
5½ cups sugar

Place the rhubarb and water into a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan and bring them to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Continue to simmer the rhubarb for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the blueberries, lemon juice, and pectin and mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Return the mixture to a full boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove the jam from heat and immediately begin ladling it into hot, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2-1/4 inch of head space. Seal immediately with two-piece lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions and process the jars in a water bath for five minutes.

Makes approximately 7 half-pint jars.

Recipe from Mrs. Karen’s Canning Recipes.