I am in Cambodia now, and it is mango season. So while I am getting mangoes for 13 cents for two pounds, canning is still an economical way to store these fruits anywhere when you catch them on sale.
I do have an important disclaimer. I do not follow the recommendations of the US Department on Agriculture on canning to the letter. You can find information on their suggested processing of acid foods here. The reason is because I can't find all the equipment, like a canning rack, that I need to process canned fruit here in Cambodia. Next time I am in Phnom Pehn, though, I will try to look there for all my needs. But in the meantime, I must refrigerate my chutneys and pickles.
My perspective is that people have been canning for at least 4000 years. The Egyptians were know to have pickled foods beginning between 3000 BCE-1000 BCE and we actually have recipes from the Romans that date to 100 CE. Basically, vegetables were salted and then put into vinegar, soured wine, or packed in honey. These went into clay pots that were often buried to help preserve them. Here in Cambodia vegetables are pickled in much the same way but put into non-sterilized screw-top plastic containers. Now, I quote for the USDA:
I have found a happy medium in pickling. I sterilize all my jars which are clamp-top glass jars and lemon juice to my vinegar solution increase the acidity. Then my fruit, pickles, relishes or chutneys are transferred into these. I refrigerate them, and while if processed they could store for two years on the shelf, they will keep six months in the fridge. It should be fine without the additional acidity, but I wanted to take the added precaution. Folks planning on using it fresh can skip that ingredient.
If using fresh like me they should be stored 1 week before using. If canning, store 1 month before consuming. If canned, will keep unopened for 2 years. Uncanned and refrigerated, it should be consumed within six months. In both cases, they should be eaten within six weeks after opening. So depending on how much chutney you eat, plan on using jar sizes that you will eat within a month. This recipe yields about two cups.
Mango Chutney
Three very ripe Mangoes
1/8 cup Raisins
1/2 medium Onion, chopped fine
1-2 cloves Garlic, chopped fine
1.5" fresh Ginger, chopped fine
2-3 fresh Red or Green Chilies, chopped fine*
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds (can substitute Yellow)
1/4 teaspoon Caraway Seeds
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon (go easy on this as it can overwhelm other tastes)
1 tablespoon Sea Salt (or other non-iodized salt)
1 cup white Sugar
1 teaspoon Lemon or Lime Juice
1/2 cup White Distilled Vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
*We eat all our food fiery hot. We do not de-seed our chilies, and with three red chilies with chutney is far beyond what most people and tolerate. For milder tastes, one de-seeded chili is plenty of heat.
Remember to sterilize your jars beforehand.
Cut peeled mango into 1/2" or so squares, mix with salt and let sit two hours. The secret to peeling a mango is to cut slits in the skins into quarters or eighths. Then you can simply peel the skin off with your fingers. Salt pulls water out of the mangoes that gets replaced with vinegar.
Add raisins to vinegar and soak two hours in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel or Pyrex). Be sure everything that comes into contact with the chutney is non-reactive (steel, glass, or organic like wooded or bamboo spoons). Copper-containing instruments will react with the acidity and poison the food. Never use copper or iron pots when canning. Aluminum is suppose to be fine, but I only use non-coated stainless steel.
Add sugar and bring vinegar to simmering boil in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel or Pyrex), let sugar completely dissolve. Add lemon juice.
Stir in all other ingredients without draining mango.
Simmer for 35-45 minutes. Keep an eye on it to ensure it does not stick to bottom on the pan. It should thicken considerably and have a thick syrupy consistency.
Allow to cool until warm and add to your canning jars or, if planning in using fresh, in a covered jar and refrigerate.
My perspective is that people have been canning for at least 4000 years. The Egyptians were know to have pickled foods beginning between 3000 BCE-1000 BCE and we actually have recipes from the Romans that date to 100 CE. Basically, vegetables were salted and then put into vinegar, soured wine, or packed in honey. These went into clay pots that were often buried to help preserve them. Here in Cambodia vegetables are pickled in much the same way but put into non-sterilized screw-top plastic containers. Now, I quote for the USDA:
Many older recipes call for pickles to be packed into jars and sealed without processing. This method is no longer recommended because microorganisms may enter the food when it is being transferred from the pickling container to the jar; processing destroys them.
If using fresh like me they should be stored 1 week before using. If canning, store 1 month before consuming. If canned, will keep unopened for 2 years. Uncanned and refrigerated, it should be consumed within six months. In both cases, they should be eaten within six weeks after opening. So depending on how much chutney you eat, plan on using jar sizes that you will eat within a month. This recipe yields about two cups.
Mango Chutney
Three very ripe Mangoes
1/8 cup Raisins
1/2 medium Onion, chopped fine
1-2 cloves Garlic, chopped fine
1.5" fresh Ginger, chopped fine
2-3 fresh Red or Green Chilies, chopped fine*
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/4 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds (can substitute Yellow)
1/4 teaspoon Caraway Seeds
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon (go easy on this as it can overwhelm other tastes)
1 tablespoon Sea Salt (or other non-iodized salt)
1 cup white Sugar
1 teaspoon Lemon or Lime Juice
1/2 cup White Distilled Vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
*We eat all our food fiery hot. We do not de-seed our chilies, and with three red chilies with chutney is far beyond what most people and tolerate. For milder tastes, one de-seeded chili is plenty of heat.
Remember to sterilize your jars beforehand.
Cut peeled mango into 1/2" or so squares, mix with salt and let sit two hours. The secret to peeling a mango is to cut slits in the skins into quarters or eighths. Then you can simply peel the skin off with your fingers. Salt pulls water out of the mangoes that gets replaced with vinegar.
Add raisins to vinegar and soak two hours in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel or Pyrex). Be sure everything that comes into contact with the chutney is non-reactive (steel, glass, or organic like wooded or bamboo spoons). Copper-containing instruments will react with the acidity and poison the food. Never use copper or iron pots when canning. Aluminum is suppose to be fine, but I only use non-coated stainless steel.
Add sugar and bring vinegar to simmering boil in a non-reactive pan (stainless steel or Pyrex), let sugar completely dissolve. Add lemon juice.
Stir in all other ingredients without draining mango.Simmer for 35-45 minutes. Keep an eye on it to ensure it does not stick to bottom on the pan. It should thicken considerably and have a thick syrupy consistency.
Allow to cool until warm and add to your canning jars or, if planning in using fresh, in a covered jar and refrigerate.
No comments:
Post a Comment