Loquat Apricot Chutney Recipe

Loquat and apricot may not make the most traditional chutney, but it is delicious. I’ve wanted to use the fresh loquats I got from my aunt to make a dish that really highlights the ingredient, and fruit chutney seemed like an obvious choice.

Since I made so much, I canned the chutney and stored it for future use. I let it rest for a week and opened our first jar today. The flavor was amazing. There were still some chunks of loquats in it, and the hint of spices from the red chili powder and mustard provided a mild, lingering heat that follows closely behind the sweetness of the fruit.

There are many ways to use the chutney, but I opted to pair it with roasted chicken breast wrapped in smoked turkey slices. A-ma-zing!

Indian Cherry Chutney Recipe

Chutney is an Indian condiment that's used to add more flavor to main courses. Chutneys can be sweet, savory, sour or spicy and are often a combination of the four.

The kids went cherry-picking recently. After "pigging out" on their haul, all that was left was about a quart of fairly unattractive cherries. They were too smushed for a pie or a tart, but I was determined not to waste them. It occurred to me that a chutney might be an excellent use for them. Cherries have a sweet and sour flavor that matches perfectly with the spices commonly found in chutneys. In fact, one of my father-in-law's favorite chutneys is made from raw mangoes. Unlike the chutney that's made from ripe mangoes which is very sweet, the raw mango chutney is more tart, while still maintaining some fruitiness.

This chutney would be the perfect accompaniment to lamb, goat or poultry but since there are so many vegetarians in my house, I decided to serve it with some fried tofu. They don't even know what they're missing!

Laura's Home-Made Vinegar

Vinegar is such a commonly used ingredient in so many dishes that it needs no introduction.  But I've learned that it's often the simplest products that we know the least about. 

One of my husband's closest friends, Laura, makes wonderful jams and jellies. She recently gave us a delicious bottle of home-made vinegar, and I asked her for the recipe.  Enjoy!