Quick chutney questions

zippychick

Jam chutney and preserves index

Hi Queen Bess, if you check the above index you may find some useful information. I've not tried chutney yet but am very close, so will be reading it myself! :j

ChocClare

I made some apple and date chutney earlier in the year and very yummy it is too, though I say so myself. I poured it into fairly hefty jars and, now that I have realised that it won`t all get eaten as we are still working our way through the September 2006 vintage (which is SCRUMOLA :rotfl:), it would seem like a good idea to offer some as Christmas presents.

What I`d like to do is to put it in slightly smaller, more decorative jars to give away as presents. Can anyone see any problem if I tip it all back in the preserving pan, bring it up to the boil and simmer for a bit, then tip into newly sterilised smaller jars and seal? Is there some sort of horrible killer bacterium that will be introduced by this? Can`t say I can think of any but thought I`d better just ask first before I kill all my friends.

tiff

Its what I would do, assume it can do no harm as long as you dont leave it to simmer for too long.

lisa26_2

Hi, just a quick question. Whe making chutney do I put the lids on while its still hot? I'm reusing shop jars with screw on lids.

Thanks
Lisa x

timmmers

I don't do this a lot but I do put them on hot, because the when it cools it helps seal the lid on tighter as air and chutney cools and sontracts. This is one reason the tops are a !!!!!! to remove sometimes.

My old mum expained some decent reason for the cloth on the tops too once...can't ever remember that though.

t

Butterfly_Brain

the trick is to put the chutney in hot and twist the llid back a quarter turn then as the chutney cools it makes its own seal

foxgloves

Yes, put the lids on when hot, as you'll find that when you are re-using lids from supermarket jars, this often seems to reactivate the seal 'button' thing in the middle (if it's that kind of lid). I've used recycled lids for years & have never had any jars of my chutney going off.

foreign_correspondent

yes, put them on hot - it helps keep everything sterile. I also sterilise my lids alongside the jars in the oven, or put them in the sieve and pour boiling water over them before using.

I do not turn mine back a quarter turn or anything, I just screw them on, then check them as they cool to see if they will tighten any more (use a teatowel to protect hands!)

As foxgloves says, the pop button in the middle of the lids tends to get sucked down as the chutney cools and a vacuum forms (if you are using jars with those sort of lids) - if you are, and the button goes down as the chutney cools, and stays down, you know the seal is completely airtight. When it comes to eating the chutney, I tend to use up first the jars on which the button has not popped down - as I am not certain of the seal, and store the ones that I know have sealed well.

lisa26_2

Thanks everyone. I did as you said ad left them cooling when I came to OH's. I'll check the 'poppy' bits on the lids when I get back tomorrow.

jaxx46

Hi, have got a recipe for courgette chutney that calls for mustard seeds, guess what, I haven't got any, and neither has the local shop. However I have got whole grain mustard, could I just use that?
TIA
Jackie