Have you ever ever gone away for a couple of weeks and discovered that you just’d left the freezer door ajar? Effectively, I did. And let me inform you, it wasn’t fairly.
Earlier than touring, since I’m anti-gaspillage (in opposition to meals waste), I jammed no matter I may into my already-stuffed freezer, together with a half-eaten tomato tart, which I assumed could be good to have ready-and-waiting upon my arrival dwelling, partially-used blocks of butter, and the miscellaneous leftover ends of bread that one collects when one always buys an excessive amount of bread. After I returned, I noticed that a type of bread items had been caught within the door and saved it from sealing closed.
Oddly, the fridge doorways have an alarm, which beeps in the event that they’re not utterly shut, however the freezer door doesn’t. Coming dwelling to an array of things that had been half-frozen, half-defrosted (with gloopy liquid oozing out of them), presumably defrosted after which refrozen, and some that had been unidentifiable, was a bummer.
Some issues I knew needed to go – like sausages, inventory, and a relatively moldy half-eaten tomato tart, that I used to be certain could possibly be reheated after I returned from my travels. (I received’t share an image of that, however it appeared prefer it wanted an excellent shave.) However I additionally had a number of valuable baggage of cranberries that I’d stashed away for Thanksgiving and whereas they weren’t utterly defrosted, I didn’t need to (or know if I may) refreeze them, so I made a decision to make chutney…and a complete lotta it.
Happily, all my candied and dried fruits had been in wonderful situation and since I used to be cleansing my freezer, I additionally did just a little purge of my drawers of issues that weren’t sparking pleasure in my kitchen, and cooked all of them up with some spices, some honey, orange juice, and vinegar, to make this tangy-tangy condiment.
(Only a word that dried fruits all the time spark pleasure in me. However a drawerful of little crinkled up cellophane baggage with 13 raisins or two dried apricots in them, don’t.)
To share my pleasure with you, I whittled my catastrophe-size recipe right down to an inexpensive recipe, however you’re welcome to double, triple, or quadruple it. Though it’ll preserve for a couple of weeks within the fridge, I had a lot that tightly sealed the overload into freezer baggage and positioned them again within the congélateur. Nevertheless subsequent time I’m headed out of city, I’m going to verify my freezer is tightly sealed, as a result of I’d be a bummer to lose these.
Cranberry Chutney
Be happy to make use of any kind, or mixture, of dried fruit. Dates, figs, raisins, apricots, candied ginger, dried cherries, cranberries, pineapples, or different favorites, work properly. (In fact, there isn’t any want to cut the raisins or dried cranberries or cherries, if utilizing.) You would additionally embody chopped candied orange or lemon peel within the combine.
Any tart apple is okay to make use of, but when utilizing Golden Scrumptious apples, be sure to cut them very wonderful (until you want chunks of apples in your chutney) as they do not break down as different apples do. If utilizing frozen cranberries, no must thaw them prematurely. Simply add them frozen and cook dinner as directed.
An fascinating addition is to cook dinner the chutney with a really small department of rosemary. It’s going to lend an herbaceous word to the chutney. Take away it after the chutney is cooked. Or a tipple of whiskey (or an anise-based spirit, akin to pastis) added proper earlier than the tip of cooking is also good.
Servings 3 cups (750ml)
- 12 ounces (340g) cranberries, recent or frozen (if utilizing frozen, no must defrost earlier than utilizing)
- 1 cup (125g) diced dried fruit, (see headnote)
- 1 tart apple, cored, and finely diced (peeled or unpeeled)
- 2/3 cup firmly-packed (140g) mild brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (125ml) orange or apple juice
- 6 tablespoons (90ml) apple cider vinegar, plus extra if desired
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon floor dried ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon floor cloves
- pinch pink chile flakes
- pinch salt
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Combine all of the components collectively in a big saucepan.
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Cook dinner over medium-high warmth, stirring steadily, till the cranberries pop and start to interrupt down and launch their juices, and the apple items are cooked by way of. Time will range however it’ll take about 10 minutes or so.
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Take away from warmth and when the chutney is cool sufficient, style and add 1 (or 2) tablespoons further vinegar, if desired.
Storage: Retailer in jars within the fridge till prepared to make use of. The chutney ought to preserve for not less than a month. It can be frozen for as much as six months. In the event you want to can it, you could find pointers on the Nationwide Middle for House Meals Preservation web site.
