APRICOT-DATE CHUTNEY

FOR A QUICK APPETIZER, SPREAD CREAM CHEESE AND THIS SWEETLY SPICED CHUTNEY BETWEEN SLICES OF COCKTAIL RYE BREAD. IT’S ALSO LOVELY WITH BAKED HAM AND TURKEY BREAST.

PREP: 40 MINUTES COOK: 15 MINUTES PROCESS: 10 MINUTES MAKES: 4 HALF-PINTS PHOTO

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup bottled lemon juice
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Dash ground cloves
3 cups chopped, peeled ripe apricots (8 to 12 medium)
¾ cup snipped, pitted dates

1. In a medium stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, dry mustard, allspice, and cloves. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

2. Stir apricots and dates into the onion mixture. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3. Ladle hot chutney into hot sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.

4. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.

PER 2 TABLESPOONS: 39 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 1 mg sodium, 9 g carb., 1 g fiber, 0 g pro.

PICK THE RIGHT POT

When cooking with acidic foods such as tomatoes, vinegar, and lemon juice, use a nonreactive stainless-steel or enamel-coated cast-iron pot. Materials such as aluminum and uncoated cast iron are subject to pitting and can leach metal into the food.