Can Jam #1 - Apple Rhubarb Chutney
Rhubarb! Not something I normally make. My only real experience with it was attempting rhubarb syrup last spring and while it was nice, I don't think I made it strongly enough and the delicate flavor got lost in whatever else I was trying to make. So, this time around, I pulled out my copy of Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
and went straight to the index. Two recipes caught my eye immediately and since I had a glut of rhubarb, I decided to make both! The first was Rhubarb Sunshine Concentrate and the second was this chutney. I had a bunch of empire apples from costco at home and a bag of craisins
in the cupboard, so I decided to give this a go.
You chop up 2 cups of rhubarb and 4 cups of apples (about 3 apples or so). I pulled out this apple peeler
, which is a lifesaver! My fruit CSA is very apple heavy in the late summer and fall, so being able to pull this out to quickly peel, core and dice apples for apple sauce, cobbler, or other canning needs is fabulous. Totally worth the money and definitely worth it over buying the cheapy one at Target, which I did and the handles broke off and it was a huge pain. The one I linked above both cores and slices the apples in one long line for you. While the vacuum base is imperfect in mine and it doesn't always peel perfectly, it's fabulous. And I love it. (This is an unsponsored recommendation, aside from the fact that I'm using an Amazon Associates link above)
Anyway, once you've got your 4 cups of apples, you need to treat them to prevent them from browning. Either sprinkle with Fruit Fresh, citric acid or combine 4 cups water with 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice and submerge in that (which is what I did, since I am lazy and without Fruit Fresh currently). This is an easy step to forget to do but it's important because it a) adds acidity to your food and b) keeps it looking pretty for longer! I forgot to treat ALL of my pickled peaches and peach salsa batches last summer and they do brown. Zest and juice a lemon while you're at it. Make sure you pick out any seeds, because that'll add a layer of bitterness to your food.
Combine the rhubarb, apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2.5 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
As a side note, the original recipe calls for 4 cups of sugar. Holy crap, is that too much! I frequently find that most jam/fruit recipes are overly sweet and that the sweet tends to overpower the flavor of the fruit. I was always afraid to adjust sugar when it comes to canning because I was always terrified of botulism. However, I've discovered that it's the acidity in fruits or vinegar that keeps botulism at bay, not the sugar. Therefore, adjust away! And thank goodness.
After 15 minutes, the rhubarb and the apples should be soft. Add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (another reason to adjust down the added sugar - craisins are sweetened!), 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. Simmer another 20 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently, until gelled enough to mound on the back of a spoon.
Fill 5 half pint jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Wipe rims, add lids and put in a water bath canner. Bring to boiling and process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and leave for another 5 minutes. Remove jars from water bath and leave to cool over night.
The Verdict: This isn't chutney. This is apple pie filling. Either my 2 cups of chopped rhubarb is less than what ball would use, or my lemon was less or I had more than 4 cups of apples or I should have adjusted down the sugar even more because of the craisins, I don't know. But I basically have apple pie filling. I also cooked it for 5 minutes longer than the directions specified since it wasn't gelled at all at 15 minutes. But I don't taste the rhubarb in this. Or anything but apples and cinnamon. The acid that makes chutney tangy and delicious is missing. Probably would be better with the judicious application of some cider vinegar. Still, I can probably put it on a cheese tray, or on a turkey sandwich with a little bit of cream cheese or use it to make some hand pies or something. This also made 5 half pints instead of 4, so maybe I did have too many apples or something. I'm not sure. Happily, apple pie filling is delicious, even if I didn't intend to make it.
Without all the bajiggedy: Apple Rhubarb Pie Filling Chutney
2 cups chopped rhubarb
4 cups apples, peeled, cored, chopped & treated to prevent browning
1 lemon
2.5 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup craisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Combine apples, rhubarb, zest & juice of lemon, sugar and water in a pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until apples & rhubarb are soft, about 15 minutes. Add dried cranberries and spices and simmer, uncovered, until mixture mounds on the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Fill half pint jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Add lids and place in a water bath canner. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from bath and let sit undisturbed overnight.
Makes 5 half pints.