Apricot-Almond Chutney
Notes: Jacqueline Johnson of Fowler, California, teaches 4-H groups the art of canning. She won first prize at the California State Fair with this chutney. At altitudes of 1,000 to 6,000 feet, process jars for 15 minutes; above 6,000 feet, process for 20 minutes.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Follow steps 1 through 4 of Canning Instructions, using six pint-size jars.
Step 2
2
Place almonds in a 9-inch-wide pan and bake in a 350° oven until golden, shaking pan occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3
3
Pit and coarsely chop apricots; you should have 3 1/3 cups. Stem, seed, and coarsely chop bell peppers; you should have 3 1/3 cups. Seed and finely chop oranges and lemons (including peel); you should have 1 1/3 cups oranges and 1 cup lemons, including juices.
Step 4
4
In an 8- to 10-quart pan, combine almonds, apricots, bell peppers, oranges, lemons, onions, sugar, vinegar, crystallized ginger, raisins, salt, ground ginger, and garlic. Measure volume (see "Sunset's Canning Tips" Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir often until mixture is thick and reduced by 1/3, about 35 minutes.
Step 5
5
Follow steps 5 through 11 of Canning Instructions, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace in each jar and processing jars for 10 minutes (see Notes).
Step 6
6
Sunset's Canning Tips:
Step 7
7
Add butter to jams and jellies to prevent foam from forming during cooking. If you omit the butter, skim off the foam before ladling jam or jelly into jars. The recipe will yield about 1/4 cup less.
Step 8
8
Measure all the sugar into a bowl before beginning the recipe. Many canning recipes call for a large volume of sugar to be added when a mixture is already boiling; measuring ahead simplifies this step and prevents mistakes.
Step 9
9
Use a ruler to measure volume. Some recipes call for a mixture to be reduced by a certain amount. To ascertain this easily, insert a clean, wood ruler into the pan before cooking and measure how far up the mixture comes. Then cook as directed until it has reduced by the percentage specified. For example, if uncooked mixture measures 4 inches in pan and recipe says to reduce by half, cook it down to 2 inches.
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds
2 pounds ripe apricots
2 pounds red bell peppers
2 Valencia oranges (12 oz. total)
2 lemons (8 oz. total)
2 1/2 cups chopped onions (1 1/4 lb.)
2 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Directions
Step 1
1
Follow steps 1 through 4 of Canning Instructions, using six pint-size jars.
Step 2
2
Place almonds in a 9-inch-wide pan and bake in a 350° oven until golden, shaking pan occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3
3
Pit and coarsely chop apricots; you should have 3 1/3 cups. Stem, seed, and coarsely chop bell peppers; you should have 3 1/3 cups. Seed and finely chop oranges and lemons (including peel); you should have 1 1/3 cups oranges and 1 cup lemons, including juices.
Step 4
4
In an 8- to 10-quart pan, combine almonds, apricots, bell peppers, oranges, lemons, onions, sugar, vinegar, crystallized ginger, raisins, salt, ground ginger, and garlic. Measure volume (see "Sunset's Canning Tips" Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir often until mixture is thick and reduced by 1/3, about 35 minutes.
Step 5
5
Follow steps 5 through 11 of Canning Instructions, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace in each jar and processing jars for 10 minutes (see Notes).
Step 6
6
Sunset's Canning Tips:
Step 7
7
Add butter to jams and jellies to prevent foam from forming during cooking. If you omit the butter, skim off the foam before ladling jam or jelly into jars. The recipe will yield about 1/4 cup less.
Step 8
8
Measure all the sugar into a bowl before beginning the recipe. Many canning recipes call for a large volume of sugar to be added when a mixture is already boiling; measuring ahead simplifies this step and prevents mistakes.
Step 9
9
Use a ruler to measure volume. Some recipes call for a mixture to be reduced by a certain amount. To ascertain this easily, insert a clean, wood ruler into the pan before cooking and measure how far up the mixture comes. Then cook as directed until it has reduced by the percentage specified. For example, if uncooked mixture measures 4 inches in pan and recipe says to reduce by half, cook it down to 2 inches.
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