This recipe lets you use everything from tart backyard apples, to green tomatoes and even grapes.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
There was a time when preserving the harvest was a matter of necessity. Even now that most fruit and vegetables are available year-round, in season or not, present-day recipes are still derived from generations-old canning instructions that require massive pots and yield dozens of jars.
There’s no need for that level of commitment – it’s far easier to chop and simmer enough fruit for a jar or two to keep in your fridge or freezer. So much of what’s in season right now – onions, peppers, tomatoes, apples, pears, grapes and stone fruit – is perfect for a sweet-tart chutney that lasts for a month in the fridge or longer in the freezer to serve with pakoras or cheese some time down the road.
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Beyond the farmers’ market offerings, this chutney also makes great use of tart backyard apples (if they’re too small to bother slicing and coring, simply slice off their fleshy cheeks and compost the core), green tomatoes and even grapes. It’s best with an assortment of fruit, which will each break down differently, creating a more complex soft-chunky texture.
Any-Fruit Chutney Baked Brie
When choosing your fruit, remember even different types of apples vary in texture – McIntosh will cook down into sauce, whereas Braeburn and Pink Lady apples will do a better job of holding their shape. While you absolutely can process your jars for shelf-stable storage, this chutney freezes well. And if you freeze it flat in plastic bags, it will thaw quickly when you need it.
Chutney:
- 1 small onion (or 1/4 purple onion), chopped
- 4-5 cups chopped peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, grapes and rhubarb (any combination)
- 1 sweet pepper, such as pimento, banana or bell; seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tsp mustard seed (optional)
- 1/2 tsp curry spice blend
- 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 small wheel of brie or Camembert, or a plant-based brie
Chop all the fruit and veggies you’re using – don’t bother peeling them – and put them all into a large saucepan with the sugar, vinegar, spices and salt.
Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fruit breaks down and the mixture is thick and saucy. Taste and adjust the sugar and vinegar, if it needs it. Remove from the heat when it’s a bit runnier than you’d like it to be – it will continue to cook and thicken up as it cools.
To bake your brie, score the top of the rind and place the wheel on a small sheet or baking dish and bake in the oven or air fryer at 375 F for eight to 10 minutes, or until soft and starting to ooze. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon plenty of chutney overtop to serve with crackers or sliced baguette.
