Remember that boat-load of blueberries I mentioned last week? Memorial Day weekend Wife Whisperer and I went a-pickin'...
This is the source of blueberry deliciousness. I try to drag a family member up to King's Orchard about once a year for my annual berry gathering. Typically, it's Number Two son, because he likes to go, but my guys have flown the coop for the summer. They've been at Philmont for a few weeks now....working, hiking, camping, eating at Denny's on their days off and doing as much guy stuff as they can possibly squeeze into one summer. I miss 'em. I digress.
So, what I learned is that WW is a much better shot than I am. Somehow, more blueberries made it into our boxes than into my hair.
And this is what I did with a very small portion of our bounty. Blueberry chutney...using a recipe (found in this book) from the Mississippi eatery "Mammy's Cupboard:"
Can you imagine this tiny filling-station-turned-restaurant serving upwards of 300 people for lunch? This chutney is wonderful served with grilled chicken and I think would be good with any other kind of grilled meat, as well. I was a bit heavy handed with the garlic so would probably cut back on that for next time and...it didn't taste to great right from the spoon. But, served the way it's supposed to be served, as an accompaniment, it was fab!
I used these 4 oz. jelly jars for my chutney but, unless you're serving only two, you might want to step up to the 8 oz.
If you need a review on canning procedures, get yourself one of those little canning books...Ball puts one out. I noticed there are even instructions on the sides of the jelly jar box, now. Although, it's not difficult. At all. First things first, wash your jars, lids and rings in hot, soapy water. Use new lids...not those crusty old ones laying around in the back of your drawer. They should then be sterilized which is pretty easy because you'll be boiling up a big pot of water to process the filled jars in, anyway.
Prepare all your ingredients. One of my favorite things in this recipe is fresh ginger. Ohhhh, it smells divine! This recipe calls for fresh mint, which I didn't have. I searched my local grocery but...no fresh mint. I raided my neighbor's garden while they were at work. Still, no fresh mint. So, I added dried...not in the same amount as I would have, had I had fresh. It still tasted good but fresh, of course, is best.
Throw it all into a big pot and cook it down for about 30 minutes, more or less...stirring occasionally.
Fill the jars with chutney and process them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. I used a mondo, big canning pot that I keep for such occasions but, with these little 4 oz jars you probably don't have to go this big.
Remove the jars from the boiling water and...this is the fun part...listen for them. If they've processed correctly, you should hear each one make a small, satisfying "ping!" You can actually see the center, raised part of the lid suck down and become indented. That means your jars are properly sealed. Yay for you!
And there you have it! Blueberry Chutney. I'm giving you my own version of blueberry chutney so it's not exactly the same. I found a very similar recipe, along with a lot of other blueberry recipes here, which appeals to me as I'm originally from Oregon (but I got to Texas as fast as I could *wink*) Enjoy!
Blueberry Chutney
4 c fresh blueberries
1/4 c white (or cider) vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/8 c golden raisins
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 T minced garlic
2 t orange zest
2 t curry powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c minced onion
3 T fresh mint chopped or 1 1/2 T dry
1/8 c chopped pickled jalapenos (totally optional-ok...I live in Texas under the deep, deep belief (or is it a delusion) that everything is better with jalapenos. Don't feel obligated to make this leap with me.)
Combine all ingredients, except mint, in a large pot. Bring mix to boil over med. heat, stirring often. Cook 30 minutes...more or less. Remove from heat and stir in mint. Ladle hot chutney into hot, clean jars, leaving a least 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean. Cover with metal lids and screw on bands, fingertight. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Remove from waterbath and allow to cool. Listen for the "ping!" Enjoy with chicken, fish or meat.
