I've been asked to fix a double batch of the Cranberry Chutney I've made for the past 7 years for the same function. Personally, I love this recipe so much that the canned variety of sauce is now ruined for me. It's insanely good. It's got some crazy textures going on with a surprisingly spicy sweet and sour kick. Definitely not your grandma's cylindrical sauce that slurps out of a can. I'm now of the opinion that a person should never be able to stack their cranberry sauce like cord wood in a serving dish. I don't care how much parsley lays underneath for "presentation". There ought to be laws against it. I'm horribly embarrassed I ever did that.
About this chutney... Again, I found this recipe HERE. At the time, I had a bag of berries I feared would go bad if I didn't use them right away. I also had all the necessary components needed to make it. So, I fed my fear and made the sauce. Unfortunately, it was January--a little too late for the holidays--but it was awesome for the Super Bowl. Having no meat to serve this with--I spooned it over cream cheese and served with butter crackers. AWESOME!
In later years, I chopped up left over turkey and mixed it into some of the chutney and served it like a sandwich on a bagel that has been schmeared with cream cheese. The same turkey salad is also great on left over salad or rolls too.
On my Tuesday agenda: make a double batch of cranberry chutney. I may or may not go to the grocery store for bagels, crackers and cream cheese.
Cranberry Chutney
1 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup apples - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
In a medium saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Add the cranberries, apples, cider vinegar, raisins and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring often. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Cool to room temperature and serve or cover and refrigerate. Bring chutney to room temperature before serving.
HINT: The chutney tastes best if made a day or two in advance to allow the flavors to meld.
Addendum: I could never perfect the technique of getting the gelled cranberry sauce out of the can without marring the surface. One crack... one scratch and the glistening sheen of the cylinder is ruined. For whatever reason, it just doesn't taste the same if it's not perfectly can shaped. It can only be saved if eaten with olive covered fingertips.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Since we eat a fair amount of cheese/crackers and such type things, will have to give that one a try! I still like the canned stuff but maybe that will change my mind? Oh!! I wonder if Amanda has some of the cranberries she picked this year to try it with? And...wonder if we could can it for gifts? Hmmmm.....you have opened a whole new world of possibilties up here!!
ReplyDeleteI did a bit of investigation, and yes this is recipe is suitable for canning. It may need to be modified a bit re: raisins. That's dependent upon your personal texture preference. They can be omitted though and extra apple or even some orange could be added in their place. There is no need for pectin as thickening agent because cranberries naturally contain lots of their own.
ReplyDeleteMmm... I might need to invest in some canning supplies.