april & may tcj are fighting for my heart
What can I say, but thank you. Ashley, thank you. Loving this recipe. Loving my Rhubarb & Amaretto Chutney. I didn’t even do anything to it. (♥:Do I know you????)
I get all giddy when I learn a thing or five. This month in canning has been really cool. Hello, this is so not a late Friday night post. Again. Yay! I planned, experimented and didn’t rush. I might have to apply that to the rest of my…
Okay. So, I still haven’t found a locally grown source for the barb. I kinda stopped looking for it after I found it at the downtown Ralphs. *Bad Nikki Shrug* I’m keeping an eye out, though.
I wanted to try something different from last week’s tasty jam. Since most of the other canning titles on the shelf went sweet, I was excitedly hoping that Canning & Preserving with Ashley English would surprise me with something I couldn’t pass up. HELLOOOOOO, Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney. I mean, really. HELLOOOO.
As I looked over the ingredients, I saw a long overdue trip in the making. Coriander and cumin were already on my list to get from the South Asian grocery in the neighborhood. I’d scouted out the place before, but hadn’t put the card on the counter to pay.
It’s like spice nirvana in there. Freakish price and quantity difference from conventional stores. I picked up a few other things that just might find their way into a new take on Market.Watch.
Can we talk about the big bottle of amaretto I’ve got in the cabinet now? See, that’s what I get for not reading the entire recipe. I was way too excited to grab the straw shopping basket Mom got me and go all euro with my multiple stops that I didn’t see that I could have just replaced the alcohol with orange juice.
It’s not that I don’t drink. A bottle of wine usually won’t make it ’til morning. I just don’t know what to do with the makings of a little bar. Cute, I guess. But it means I’ll need to get some friends to hang out with the soju and amaretto. Right?
Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney
barely, yet adoringly adapted from Canning & Preserving with Ashley English
cheesecloth or a muslin tea bag
3 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 1/2 c rhubarb, chopped
2 c brown sugar
1 1/4 c sweet onions, chopped
1/2 c seedless raisins
2 cloves garlic, mince
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c amaretto
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
3/4 teaspoon pickling or kosher salt
Make a spice pouch from a small the cheesecloth or muslin square. Add the cardamom pods, whole cumin, coriander, cloves, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and cinnamon to the cheesecloth. Secure the bundle with kitchen twine.
Add the spices, brown sugar, rhubarb, onions, raisins, garlic, ginger, and vinegar to sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook over medium heat, uncovered for 30 min. Add amaretto, lemon zest, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, mustard seeds and salt. Simmer for 30 more minutes. Stir, stir, stir. Ashley suggests adding a bit more water to the chutney if it begins to stick to the pot. 1/8 cup to start.
Prep and sterilize jars and lids. Fill jars and water bath process for 10 minutes.
NikkiBits: While this is pretty much halved, where it isn’t I chose over in the over/under debate in my head. This yields 2 .25L or 1/2 pint jars with some extra for the fridge. I had a bit with some fish and cous cous I threw together with a bit of curry, broccoli, coconut milk and Matouk’s. OMFrigginG.
What’s Next: Awww, man. I can’t wait to get more/better priced rhubarb. This really kicks. I so want to make it to give to friends and my fave librarian. (♥:Save LAPL!)
I think I might be glad that I didn’t really like the rhubarb pie I had that summer in Canada forever ago. I wonder if I’d appreciate the journey to the savory and sweet.
Nikki♥