Get yourself into a pickle - recipes

Angela Day mango chutney. Picture: Steve Lawrence

Angela Day mango chutney. Picture: Steve Lawrence

Published Dec 11, 2012

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Bread and butter pickles

Delicious served with cheese and cold meats.

Makes about 500ml

2 x 450g punnets of fresh gherkin cucumbers

3 onions, thinly sliced

salt

375ml cider vinegar

250ml white sugar

2ml ground turmeric

5ml mustard seeds

5ml fennel seeds

Thinly slice gherkins with a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife and put them in a sieve. Mix in the onions. Sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for a few hours. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel.

Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 6-8 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the onions and gherkins and boil for 1 minute.

Pack into sterilised jars and seal. Once opened, store in the fridge.

Green mango chutney

Makes about 500ml

4 green mangoes,

peeled and diced

180ml sugar

250ml white vinegar

15ml chopped garlic

2ml chilli flakes

5ml cumin seeds

4 cardamom pods, bruised

1 stick of cinnamon

5 whole cloves

3ml salt

5 black peppercorns, crushed

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Simmer the mixture gently, stirring occasionally until thick.

Bottle and seal in sterilised jars.

Tomato Chutney

Makes 500ml

1kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 onions, chopped

250ml raisins

2 large apples,

peeled, cored and chopped

350g white sugar

250ml cider vinegar

10ml salt

3ml ground allspice

3ml cinnamon

5ml ground ginger

3ml cayenne pepper

a good grinding of

black pepper

Put ingredients into a large saucepan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring frequently until mixture is thick.

Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher until well blended. Spoon into sterilised bottles and seal.

Leave to mature for one to two weeks before using.

Asian Plum Sauce

This sauce is delicious in stir fries, over burgers and as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. Once you taste this, you’ll never buy a bottle of plum sauce again.

Makes about 1.5 litres

2kg red plums, pitted

4 large onions, chopped

100g ginger,

peeled and chopped

1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

250ml soy sauce

250ml rice vinegar

750ml white vinegar

1kg white sugar

2 whole star anise

Put the plums, onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and vinegars into a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until the plums are very soft.

Remove and push the plum mixture through a sieve.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir in the sugar and star anise.

Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened and creamy in appearance.

Remove the star anise and discard. Bottle in sterilised bottles and seal. - Saturday Star

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