Monday, September 03, 2007

Top Ten Reasons to Make Chutney

1. They taste great with cold meats, in cheese sandwiches, or with a pork pie

2. It's really easy. Honest. I know some people are preserve-phobic but there's no need to be

3. Home-made chutney makes a great Christmas present, thank-you gift, welcome-new-neighbour gift, I'm-sorry-my-bees-attacked-you-and-stung-your-dog peace offering etc.

4. Your friends and neighbours are avoiding you in case you give them any more runner beans or courgettes, but you need to use up the surplus veg somehow

5. Not everything is cheaper to make than to buy, but chutney is (especially if you're using up home-grown gluts or hedgerow forage)

6. You cannot buy anything in the shops that's nearly as good as home-made chutney

7. Have you read the ingredients label on shop-bought chutney?

8. You can get creative in so many ways - different herbs and spices in the recipe, fancy labels, little fabric hats and ribbons. It's great fun

9. They always go really well at Christmas fairs, summer fetes and other fund raising events

10. There's nothing like the feeling that a well-stocked store cupboard gives you, especially when the contents are home-made

4 comments:

Azura Skye said...

hello there!

I just posted a comment - don't see it though - so I don't know if it worked.

But it said -
Well done you for blogging and doing so well!!
And you look really good too, like the hair.

I just randomly found my old blog- I thought it had been deleted, and it's a shame I stopped blogging, I adhered to most of the basic principles that I set myself all those many months ago! I have a lovely garden now, which to blow my own trumpet - I'm very proud of. I spend more, but re-reading this and my blog has reminded me to keep it in check. But I think I'm a lot better than I was.

anyways - I'm off to read more of your lovely blog.

Take care - XXX

Yellow said...

I keep an eye out for reduced vinegar in supermarkets, so I can use cider vinegar or red wine vinegar to boost my chutneys. Mel's right about it being easy - there's no need to fiddle on with setting points & pectin levels & all that. You just chop it small, stick it in a pan with the vinegar, sugar & spices, boil for a prescribed period, then wack it into sterilised jars. And, if you don't know what a sterilised jar is - just was & rinse, then stick in a hot over for 10 mins or so. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

donna said...

"preserve-phobic", that's me! I'm fine with baking, making soups, etc but there's something about preserves that seems a little scary.After reading your reasons though I think I should take the plunge.

Anonymous said...

But how do I make one? Say out of many, many green tomatoes?