SWEET AND SAVORY, this chutney is a natural to pair with lighter meats, such as crown roast of pork, glazed duck, or grilled chicken. The tang of the orange-fleshed fruit, married with the exotic spices, elevates simply cooked standard home fare to the realm of “I can’t believe you made this yourself!” It’s proven to be so popular with guests at my table that I’ve often sent them home with one of the jars from my pantry. You may want to think about cooking up a double batch, right out of the gate!
MAKES ABOUT
2 CUPS / 475 MILLILITERS CHUTNEY
4 ounces / 120 grams chopped dried apricots
2 ripe, fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 medium-size yellow onion, diced
¼ cup / 60 milliliters rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
1 piece fresh ginger, about the size of half your thumb, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In a small bowl, cover the apricots with warm, but not hot, water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain through a colander and transfer them to a nonreactive saucepan. Add the peaches, tomatoes, onion, vinegar, jalapeño, ginger, cloves, turmeric, and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the cilantro, then ladle the mixture into hot, sterilized jars (see page 17), leaving a ¼-inch / 6-millimeter headspace, and seal using the hot water bath (see page 43) for 15 minutes. This should keep for up to 6 months in a cool, dark place, if properly sealed.