Nectarine Chutney
I made this chutney recipe after wondering what to do with all the nectarines we picked at a local farm.
I made this chutney recipe after wondering what to do with all the nectarines we picked at a local farm.
- Carbohydrate 53.9872135592296 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.200067500024061 g
- Fiber 1.16443752829712 g
- Protein 0.854014250227857 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0198547500030338 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (140g)
- Sodium 1409.89876118173 mg
- Sugar 52.8227760309325 g
- Trans Fat 0.0697637500164241 g
- Calories 212 calories
Step-by-step
- Peel and chop nectarine into small chunks.
- Soak in water and salt for a few hours. I usually leave for about two hours sometimes less and can't tell the difference . Drain and discard water.
- Combine vinegar and sugar in a pot and slowly bring to the boil, stirring gently.
- Add all remaining ingredients and turn down to a simmer with lid off.
- Cook for about an hour until thick. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on it as the bottom can start to burn once it gets thick.
- If it does start to burn, stir very slowly so the burnt pieces don't mix with the rest.
- Take off heat and leave to cool.
- Pour into jars and keep in the fridge
Cider vinegar drives the preservation chemistry of this condiment, supplying both the sharp acetic acid required to balance high quantities of brown sugar and the microbial stability needed for safe storage. While commercially bottled juices and vinegars remain uniformly acidic, raw stone fruit fluctuates wildly in sugar content depending on harvest ripeness, which directly impacts how quickly the mixture reduces down to a jammy consistency. Salting the chopped nectarines in a hypertonic brine draws out excess cellular water before cooking, firming the fruit pieces so they retain their structural integrity rather than disintegrating into a smooth puree during the hour-long simmer.
Managing Sugar Concentration and Heat
As the liquid volume decreases, the concentration of brown sugar increases the risk of scorching at the base of the pot. Maintaining a gentle, uncovered simmer allows steam to escape efficiently without exposing the heavy syrup to the aggressive, localized heat that causes burning. Should dark flecks form on the bottom of the pan, avoid scraping them into the batch, as burnt sucrose introduces an unpalatable bitterness that cannot be masked by ginger or garlic.
- Monitor the pot constantly during the final twenty minutes of cooking when the viscosity increases sharply.
- Stir with a flat-bottomed wooden paddle to reach the corners of the vessel where sugar crystals tend to accumulate.
- Store the cooled finished product in sealed glass jars inside the refrigerator to maintain flavor integrity.
