Chutneys are so yummy and for me they are one of the best side dishes or sauce for meat or fish. Friends of mine like a fruity and spicy chutney on a piece of cheese and I like them also on a nice cracker or just as a dip with not-so-paleo corn chips. They are also a great spread on a sandwich or for a tortilla.
Now is the season of grapes here in Italy and of course my two wines are so overloaded that I don’t know how to eat them all. I decided to preserve a good part of them in a chutney.
So yesterday I was in the garden to harvest a whole bunch of grapes. With more than 100°F I was cleaning them in the kitchen. Peeling apples and crying with the onions while chopping them, tears running.
All in the pot, heat on and then waiting for the chutney to cook, every now and then stiring well.
It was a sweaty work with the hot weather but when I tried the chutney to see if the taste is right, I was more than satisfied. I could clearly distinguish the sweetness of the maple syrup and the hot spices. I filled the chutney in the jars and labeled them so I know which will be the one with grapes and which the one with rhubarb from last year.
BTW: grapes are super healthy. I do currently a kind of grape cure. Every day I eat as many grapes as I can eat, with seeds. I put them in the blender so I smash the seeds well and have all the benefits of them. It’s one of the best cleansing diets I know. It helps a lot the digestion system and the kidneys.
There are more benefits of grapes. The antioxidants are important for our bodies and perfect helpers when you go very much on the beach. They can prevent heart disease, help with weight loss if needed, they are good for your vision and they regulate your blood pressure and blood sugar. But most important for me is the cleaning effect of the colon.
They are best to eat when they are in season! And please try to get them organic, best out of your own gardens. What do you think about a new project and build a grape pergola for shade and health?
- 1 kg red grapes
- 2 big chopped apples
- 2 big white onions
- 1/2 cup maples syrup or honey
- 1 heap tsp salt and pepper
- 1 heap tsp curry
- 1 heap tsp cardamom
- 1 heap tsp southwest chili mix
- 1 heap tsp ground ginger
- 1 heap tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 little chili pepper (without seeds and chopped)
- Take the grapes off the stem, wash them and put them in the blender. Blend them for 60 seconds as you want to be sure that the seeds are well broken.
- Put a pot on the stove and add the grape juice. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile peel the apples and chop them into medium size pieces. Do the same with the onions. Add apples and onions to the grape juice.
- Add the juice of one lemon and the maple syrup or honey or any other sweetener you prefer. Stir well and let it all simmer.
- Mix all the spices in a small bowl and add to the grape mixture. Stir well from time to time and let it simmer for around 50 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare a couple of mason jars. Put them in boiling water to sterilize them together with their lids.
- After 50 minutes take the chutney off the fire and fill into the jars. Close them well and leave the upside down for 5 minutes. Then flip them on the right side up and let the jars cool out before you store them. The chutney will get more firm and dense when cooling.
You can store the chutney up to one year in your pantry.
Chutneys are great with meat or fish and a perfect bbq sauce. A friend of mine likes chutneys on cheese. But it's also great just as a spread on a piece of bread.
