With all the cherries we recieved from Yurai's parents, I'd been promising to make chutney. We cooked up all the cherries so they wouldn't go off, kept some in the fridge to be neatly rolled into crepes, made some cherry chocolate ice cream (which is so simple and really, there's no need for an ice cream maker), and the rest sit in the freezer, waiting to be turned into chutney.
Key word be 'waiting.'
Alas, such is the way with this dear foodie, who has half a dozen projects on the go. No stress, I just roll with it. :)
With the cherries waiting, Yurai's folks made a surprise drop off over the weekend. This time tons of currants, red, white and a blueberry shade too-.
Neither of us really love them, so Yurai pulled off the stems (not my favourite job-bless him- !!!), whilst I had my creative mind elsewhere for a few moments-revamping our 'Modern Alchemy for Emotional Freedom,' website. Still working on the totally new one, which will compliment my own website, and eventually, Yurai's- like a small collection, but I'm not designing clothes, this time.
Once an artist, always an artist. ;)
I digress...Back to currants. Once he finished, into a pot they went, on low heat, cooking in their own time, while I carried on playing with our website.
Once an artist, always an artist. ;)
I digress...Back to currants. Once he finished, into a pot they went, on low heat, cooking in their own time, while I carried on playing with our website.
There was a beautiful crimson blob by the end, which I converted into an even more beautiful crimson blob, complete with rich flavors from the onions, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, coriander...not forgetting the compulsory brown sugar & vinegar.
On an aside, less than a year ago, I wouldn't have made chutney because of the high sugar content, even though I loved it. "That just cannot be good for you...." Blah blah blah.
Gone is that rule. Thank God (myself).
If I love it, and it's supposed to have sugar, then I will add the sugar and love it too 😉.
Now then, I have to admit though, as with most of what I cook/create, this one is a very loose recipe.
The ratios for sugar:vinegar are roughly the same (or 1 : 66, respectively). That was pretty much all I knew for certain, the rest I could and did swing, having reviewed a few different recipes for chutney, (linked below).
I love my first batch which contained roughly:
3 cups of mixed (cooked) currants (juice removed)
1.5 medium sized onion
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup (plain) vinegar
(Approximately)
1 tsp salt
1tsp coriander seeds (whole)
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Chili flakes
(a lot of recipes call for raisins, I didn't have any, so skipped that part).
(a lot of recipes call for raisins, I didn't have any, so skipped that part).
---
Quite literally, you just throw everything into a pot at the same time, and cook on low heat for about 45mins to an hour, keeping a watchful eye towards the end, so as to not reduce too much, burning your lovely chutney.
If you do what I did, and already have cooked fruit, you don't need to cook the mixture for as long. Having cooked the berries, they'd released a lot of water, which in the process, turned into a ruby red syrup- I did add a little (to moisten the mixture), at the very beginning. Go with your gut. :)
**Instead of adding everything to the pot, as mentioned above, I left the currants till last, once the onions had softened.
If you do what I did, and already have cooked fruit, you don't need to cook the mixture for as long. Having cooked the berries, they'd released a lot of water, which in the process, turned into a ruby red syrup- I did add a little (to moisten the mixture), at the very beginning. Go with your gut. :)
**Instead of adding everything to the pot, as mentioned above, I left the currants till last, once the onions had softened.
AND, seriously, play with your food. I've given rough estimates above, always leaving room for your own tastebuds to make magic. OR pop along to anyone of these recipes, which I skimmed through:
From The Kitchn, Marisa Mcclellan's 'An Adaptable Chutney'
From The Kitchn, Nigel Slater's 'Dark and Sticky Fruit Chutney'
From BBC's Goodfood.com, Emma Lewis' 'How to make Chutney'
From Jamie Oliver.com, Claudia Medeiros' 'Cherry Chutney Recipe'
Serve as you wish, I had a few bites with the potato curry/masala I made a couple of days ago, but I can imagine this piece of art with a dozen other foods already.
From The Kitchn, Marisa Mcclellan's 'An Adaptable Chutney'
From The Kitchn, Nigel Slater's 'Dark and Sticky Fruit Chutney'
From BBC's Goodfood.com, Emma Lewis' 'How to make Chutney'
From Jamie Oliver.com, Claudia Medeiros' 'Cherry Chutney Recipe'
Serve as you wish, I had a few bites with the potato curry/masala I made a couple of days ago, but I can imagine this piece of art with a dozen other foods already.
Jeeze, I love food, and creating. 🌞
1 2 3
My Visual Mind:
A little picture story about a Potato Curry, paired with a mixed Currant Chutney, my first ever, would you believe? :)
Picture 1- Quite simply, Potatoes, chutney & Coriander Shoots
Picture 2- Let's add some chill flakes
Picture 3- And currants as garnish
Picture 4- Currants atop the Potatoes, of course
Picture 5- Another view :)
Take some time for you and play. C'est tout :)
Much peace and love. <3
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