Dateline: August 6, 2020 Today's Project: When a storm gives you downed fruit, you make chutney

The aftermath of Isaias brought tomato plant destruction and devastation.  One plant was totally stripped bare and broken off on the main stem, another had the living crap knocked out of it and toppled over.  Many of the green fruits were knocked to the ground and harvested, for some project or hopeful ripening.  My neighbor harvested her white grapes pre-storm and gave me about 1 qt of them.

I have had in my brain some combo of green tomatoes, grapes, and hot peppers.  Bingo!  I will make a spicy jam/chutney out of them.

Ingredients

2 cups de-stemmed grapes

2 cups washed green tomatoes, mine were pear shaped

1 t neutral oil, I used avocado

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 fresno pepper, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 - 1/2 c cider vinegar

1/4 c sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 t yellow mustard seeds

1/2 t brown mustard seeds

1/2 t nigella seeds

1/4 cardamon seeds

4-5 whole cloves

4-5 allspice berries

pinch hot pepper powder of your choice, I used ancho and chipotle

pinch of salt

1 t pectin, if needed

1/4 t calcium powder

Jars to store the jam/chutney in

Method

1.  Heat a saucepan that can hold everything comfortable and accommodate a stick blender, and film with a slight layer of oil.  When shimmering, add spices and cook until fragrant and mustard seeds begin to pop.

2.  Add onion, garlic, peppers and cook until fragrant.

3.  Add grapes and green tomatoes and stir around to coat in spices, onion, pepper, and garlic.  Add vinegar starting with 1/4 c and cook until grapes and tomatoes start bursting and giving off their juices.  

4.  Using a potato masher, mash up the fruit mixture and taste.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.

5.  When mixture has started to get a tiny bit thick, blend thoroughly with a stick blender.  Taste again.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve.  Taste again, if necessary, add more vinegar.  You want this to be spicy, and more tart than sweet.  Cook a little while longer.  

6.  If the mixture does not look to be getting thick, remove cinnamon stick and add 1 t of pectin powder, and 1/4 t calcium powder.  Using the stick blender again, incorporate the powders completely into the jam/chutney.  Taste and adjust.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 1-2 minutes.  Let cool for about 5 minutes

7.  Using a canning funnel, fill the jars with the jam/chutney and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.  This is a fresh chutney not a processed on, so it must be stored in the fridge. 

Ta-Dah!