Radish Chutney Recipe-Mullangi Chutney (2024)

FAQs

How long should you leave homemade chutney before eating? ›

Once made, chutney can be eaten immediately but the flavours improve and develop if it is left to mature for a couple of weeks or even months. Store your unopened jars in a dry and dark cupboard for best results. Once opened, keep your chutney in the fridge and eat within four weeks.

If your chutney is too runny or your recipe calls for a thickening agent, always use cornflour mixed with a little of the vinegar. Cornflour is gluten free. Always to this at the very end because thickening your chutney like this will make catch and burn easily.

It is essential that chutneys are allowed a long and slow cooking period in a pan that is not covered with a lid. This will allow your chutney to become rich and smooth.

Chutney is a condiment or spread made from chopped fruit cooked with vinegar, spices and sometimes sugar, that can be served fresh or preserved. It's often associated with Indian cuisine.

Add cornstarch: Mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Gradually add the mixture to the chutney while stirring. Cook for a few more minutes until the chutney thickens. Add ground nuts: Add some ground nuts like almonds or cashews to the chutney, which will help thicken it.

Vinegar used in making chutney must be good quality and have at least 5% acetic acid content. Any good brand white, malt, wine or cider vinegar should possess the correct qualities. Brown sugar is used for darker coloured chutney but where a lighter colour is required granulated sugar is recommended.

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

If the chutney is too runny then in our opinion the best solution is to put it into a pan and bring it back to the boil, then simmer rapidly until it is the required thickness. If you can do this in a couple of deep frying pans (not aluminium) then it should help to speed up the process.

For chutney making

However, you should always ensure that your chutney or jam pan is made from stainless steel, as copper, brass or iron pots can react with the acidity of the fruit and vinegar in the chutney. Still, my advice is to get yourself a Maslin Pan.

The best way to test if your chutney has cooked down enough is to put a little spoonful on a plate in the fridge and let it chill for 5 minutes or so. If the liquid runs across the plate, it needs more cooking. If the liquid is quite thick and set, the chutney is done.

Why is my homemade chutney not thickening? ›

If the chutney seems too runny, cook it for another 5-10 minutes and test again. You may also like to give the chutney the odd stir as you cook it, to prevent the mixture at the edges of the pan from catching.

Cider vinegar and orange juice provide the liquid and the chutney is thickened by the apples and dried fruits as much as by the time spent cooking it. The smaller proportion of vinegar means that the chutney does not need time to mellow and can be eaten straight away.

Chutneys get better when left for a few weeks. They mature. So try not to eat them all at once. Be aware that it's often cheaper to buy jars with food in them (such as cheap jam) than empty jam or chutney jars.

Ladle the chutney into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with paper jam covers. Seal the jars while still hot. Leave to mature for at least a month in a cool dark place.

The best way to test if your chutney has cooked down enough is to put a little spoonful on a plate in the fridge and let it chill for 5 minutes or so.