Persimmon Chutney recipe

The beauty of living in a large fruit producing area is seasonal abundance. For a mere $6 I bought these persimmons at a roadside stall.

But what to do with them?

I tried several fresh, and they were lovely, but preserving is what I have in mind. On the advice of a knowledgeable friend I decided to make a batch of chutney to bulk out the cupboards. But a persimmon chutney recipe was not to be found, so I made it up as I went along, loosely based on a mango chutney recipe.

Ingredients
400 grams raw sugar
350 ml cider vinegar
6 large ripe persimmons - peeled and diced
2 large granny smith apples - peeled and diced
3 small stalks celery - finely sliced
1/2 large red onion - finely diced
1 tsp ground preserved chilli
1 tsp ginger paste
1 clove of garlic - crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp pickling spices - lightly crushed
1/2 tsp salt
tbsp olive oil
100 ml water
1 bay leaf
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 cinnamon stick
A few drops of yellow food colouring or a tsp of turmeric.

Method

Finely dice the onion, and lightly fry in the olive oil with the lightly crushed pickling spices, bay leaf, kaffir leaf, cinnamon stick, garlic and ginger paste.

Follow with the sugar, leaving a minute or 2 to begin caramelising. Then add the salt, diced apples, persimmons and celery, along with the lemon juice and the 100 ml of water. Stir well, then cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring from time to time.

After 2 hours uncover, increase the heat and reduce to the consistency you desire.

Once this has been achieved stir in the tablespoon of ground chillies and food colouring or turmeric if you desire, then bottle while hot.

This is a very simple recipe that is easily altered to suit whatever you happen to have on hand, and makes roughly 6 250ml bottles.

Label and store