Spiced Fruit & Nut Chutney

‘Tis the season to make the chutney that will then be aged chutney when you want it later! And unlike supermarket varieties with their ingredients list that goes “Sugar, spirit vinegar, inverted glucose-fructose syrup,” this one has an array of health-giving fruits and nuts (just omit the nuts if you or someone you may want to give this to has an allergy), and really nothing bad in here at all. And of course, tasty healthful spices!

You will need

• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1½ cups dried apricots, chopped
• 1½ cups dried figs, chopped
• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• ½ lime, chopped and deseeded
• ¼ bulb garlic, chopped
• 1 hot pepper, chopped (your choice what kind; omit if you don’t like heat at all; multiply if you want more heat)
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (omit for a less sweet chutney; there is sweetness in the dried fruits already, after all)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 tsp sweet cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ MSG or 1 tsp low-sodium salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Heat some oil in a heavy-based pan that will be large enough for all ingredients to go into eventually. Fry the onions on a gentle heat for around 15 minutes. We don’t need to caramelize them yet (this will happen with time), but we do want them soft and sweet already.

2) Add the ginger, garlic, and chili, and stir in well.

3) When the onions start to brown, add the fruit and stir well to mix thoroughly.

4) Add the honey or maple syrup (if using), and the vinegar; add the remaining spices/seasonings, so everything is in there now except the almonds.

5) Cook gently for another 30 minutes while stirring. At some point it’ll become thick and sticky; add a little water as necessary. You don’t want to drown it, but you do want it to stay moist. It’ll probably take only a few tablespoons of added water in total, but add them one at a time and stir in before judging whether more is needed. By the end of the 30 minutes, it should be more solid, to the point it can stand up by itself.

6) Add the almonds, stir to combine, and leave to cool. Put it in jars until you need it (or perhaps give it as gifts).

Alternative method: if you don’t want to be standing at a stove stirring for about an hour in total, you can use a slow cooker / crock pot instead. Put the same ingredients in the same order, but don’t stir them, just leave them in layers (this is because of the pattern of heat distribution; it’ll be hotter at the bottom, so the things that need to be more cooked should be there, and the design means they won’t burn) for about two hours, then stir well to mix thoroughly, and leave it for another hour or two, before turning it off to let it cool. Put it in jars until you need it (or perhaps give it as gifts).

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer ← figs and apricots appear here
• Apricots vs Peaches – Which is Healthier? ← have a guess
• Almonds vs Walnuts – Which is Healthier? ← almonds won, but walnuts were close and would also work in this recipe
• Pistachios vs Almonds – Which is Healthier? ← almonds won, but pistachios were close and would also work in this recipe
• Our Top 5 Spices: How Much Is Enough For Benefits? ← we scored 4/5 today!

Take care!