Spiced Plum Chutney

Having an abundant plum season? Maybe it’s time for a batch of Spiced Plum Chutney.

I have learnt to be organised this plum season. It has been obvious to me that birds, possums and other rural critters enjoy the process of roaming and munching fresh plums just as much as I do – so I need to be one step ahead of them.

As stone fruit can ripen off the tree, it made sense that I pick them as soon as they began to appear flush in colour and have slight bounce when lightly squeezed. This has worked a treat and, within a week and at room temperature, they are ripe and ready for preserving in some way or form.

I have previously preserved plum jam, plum sauce, mulled plum syrup and a plethora of baking featuring plums. It was time to crack into a plum relish to add to my growing collection!

There are many recipes around for plum chutney and they all follow a traditional ingredient list: plums (obviously), sugar, vinegar, onion and/or garlic, salt and various spices.  The quantities vary, as does the type of sugar (raw, brown, white or muscovado) or the type of vinegar (white, cider or malt). The spices tend to be warm ground spices in equal measure including the likes of (but not all at once necessarily):  cinnamon, allspice, ginger, five spice, cloves, chilli powder or flakes, mustard and paprika.

Some plum chutney recipes include additional fruit too, such as dried sultanas, cranberries, or small quantities of diced apple or pear. I can understand why. Once the plums have released their own juices, combined with the vinegar, then the sugar – it’s a sloppy mix and needs time to reduce down and thicken. Dried fruit would help speed up the process as it sucks up the excess moisture but I’m not a fan, so as I’m the boss in my preserving kitchen, no dried fruit!

Due to the structure of fruit, chutneys have a softer consistency to what you may expect from a vegetable-based relish. After simmering down, if your chutney mix still needs thickening, but you’ve lost the will to live while waiting patiently, you can mix cornflour with a touch a vinegar (blend it well together) and add to the mix before putting into hot sterilised jars.

I like the fact that once the core ingredients are measured, the spices can be alternated to suit what is in your pantry.

Spiced Plum Chutney

Makes: approx 1.5 litres

Ingredients

• 2kg plums
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup malt vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups brown sugar