Kia ora from Auckland’s fourth lockdown. Cindy was considerate and threw us into lockdown just as feijoas are coming into season.
As everyone’s neighbourhoods and workplace lunchrooms become inundated with the inevitable glut of fruit I think it is very important to be prepared with such recipes to prevent yourself from drowning in the aromatic excess.
Chutney recipes are very easy to adapt provided you keep the sugar and vinegar amounts constant. For example if you want to swap out the dates for raisins or the apples for pears or the brown sugar for white sugar go right ahead. The important thing with chutney is that you have enough sugar, acid, and salt to stop your brew supporting new life once bottled up.
Make sure your jars are well sterilised before you bottle. I like to rinse all of my jars and lids in water before placing in an oven at 150C for 15 minutes at least. I also like to add hot chutney to hot jars for extra security so it’s a bit of an exercise in timing. It’s a bit of a juggle pulling things out of the oven with tongs and tightening lids with tea towels for heat protection but the more you do it the better you’ll get. Oh and always sterilise one more jar than you think you’ll need just in case one cracks.
For maximum flavour development I would leave your chutney a week before cracking open a jar - I just feel like it gives the flavours time to settle and reach their potential. No idea how long this will last - I still have jars from two years ago going strong in the cupboard.
Feijoa and Date Chutney
Makes 5-6 jars
1.6kg feijoas, skin on and diced to a small dice
6 onions, diced (use a mix of red and brown for fun)
2 large apples, diced
400g pitted dates
1 large red chilli, minced
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 cups apple cider vinegar (malt is a good substitute)
2 cups brown sugar
A large knob of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon salt
Place all of the ingredients in a large pot, I use my cast iron Le Cruset for this task. Bring to a simmer for an hour an a half until the feijoa skins are tender and the brew has turned a deep brown colour. Make sure to keep stirring regularly to stop it catching. Add a few more tablespoons of sugar at the end if you feel like it needs a bit more sweetness.
Carefully spoon into sterilised jars and seal securely. Once cool the lids should pop down and at this point fee free to give them a wash in soapy water to remove any sticky spillage from the sides.
Label your creation and store in a cool dark place until needed.