What is a Chutney?
Hey all,
Any time someone brings us fruit, they usually bring more than we can eat before it goes bad, so I like to look up recipes on how to use them in fun, new, creative ways. Earlier today, a friend brought us some pears, so as usual, I went to see what kind of recipes with pears I may want to try.
I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency of running down rabbit holes. You know, I was looking through the recipes of pear cobbler, pears with brie (Which I don’t know if any of you care, I don’t like brie cheese), pear preserves, and on that page was “30 Homesteading Skills to Start Learning TODAY (Wherever You Live)“. Obviously, I have to press on it, because I want to build as many skills as possible, because I want to live on a homestead someday. So I was looking through those skills, and then they brought up fermenting (I may do an article about that later). I started looking at the different recipes they had for fermenting stuff and came across several different types of chutney. Now, I have watched a good amount of cooking shows and such to have heard of chutney, but I never really cared to find out what it really was. I kind of imagine it to be like a sweet sauerkraut, which is interesting and gross at the same time.
So after looking through a few of these recipes, I decided I would find out what it actually is, and then, coming around the full circle, try to make a pear chutney. I’ve never tried a chutney, so I’m going to wing it.
According to Masterclass.com
“Chutney is a gluten-free, spicy or savory condiment originating in India. Chutney is made from fruits, vegetables, and/or herbs with vinegar, sugar, and spices. It’s used to provide balance to an array of dishes, or highlight a specific flavor profile. Broadly, the word chutney is now applied to anything preserved in sugar and vinegar, regardless of its texture, ingredients, or consistency.”
So I’m going to do something similar to an apple pie filling, except totally different. I’m going to take 4 almost overripe pears, cube them, and simmer them in a small pot with some sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar. Then I’ll take them out, and see what we got.
Here goes nothing. 😛