Making and Canning Fruit Chutney

This is the tastiest condiment that I've ever tasted. This chutney is delicious with meats,eggs and as a dipping sauce for chips.

Awesome addition to your burger!

Materials

• Large heavy bottom pot (12 - 16 quart)
• Jars and canning lids
• Sharp knife
• Ladle
• Measuring cup and measuring spoons
• Tongs

Ingredients

• 12 large ripe tomatoes
• 6 large onions
• 3 green peppers
• 2 red peppers
• 6 peaches
• 6 pears
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cayenne

Wash the tomatoes in cold water, using a sharp paring knife, remove the woody core. Score a large X into the base and drop them into boiling water for two or three minutes then remove them and plunge them into ice water. This is called blanching - you will use this process for the peaches too.

Remove them from the ice water and the peel should come off easily with your fingers. After peeling, coarsely dice the tomatoes and place in a large pot.

Wash the ripe peaches. Like the tomatoes they will peel easily if they are blanched. If they are a little on the green side it may be easier to use a vegetable peeler on them.

Once they are peeled, take them off the pit and dice them. Put them in the large pot with the tomatoes.

Clean, seed and coarsely dice the peppers then add them to the pot.

Halve the pears, remove the stems. core them using a teaspoon and then coarsely dice them. Add them to the pot.

Peel and dice the onions and then add them to your pot.

Once all of your chopped fruits and vegetables are in the large pot, add the three cups of white vinegar and four cups of white sugar.

Place the pot on the stove on medium high and bring the mix to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium low and leave the pot to simmer, Stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken (this will take two to three hours). The mixture will reduce quite a lot. Approximately 1/2 hour before you are finished cooking the mixture down, add the spice mixture.

Measure all of the spices into a small bowl and mix. Add them to the pot approximately 1/2 hour before removing it from the heat.

The jars may be sterilized by boiling or by placing in a 220F oven for 10 or 15 minutes. The lids are sterilized by boiling.

Ladle the chutney into the hot jars. Remove the hot lids from the water using the tongs and screw them onto the jars.

As the jars and lids cool they will vacuum seal. This chutney is best after it has cooled and set for at least a day to allow the spice to fully integrate into the mixture.