Thursday, September 22, 2011

Apple Butter Chutney

In my backyard are huge apple and pear trees.  We currently have more fruit than we know what to do with so I'm searching for some new recipes to try out.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

So far I've made a pear cobbler, pear cupcakes, applesauce and today a recipe of my own creation, Apple Butter Chutney.  I decided to use the slow cooker method of preparing apple butter and add some whole spices to give it a little Indian Chutney flavor.  It turned out really good and would probably go great on pork chops or roasted pork loin.  My husband plans on using some as a rub for ribs this weekend! I can't wait to try those.  I think next time i might add some chili powder for additional heat.


Makes about 16 oz of chutney.  You will need a slow cooker, preferably a small one.

Ingredients
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small piece of cinnamon bark or stick
1 green cardamon pod
1 black cardamon pod (if you can't find this you can probably substitute another regular cardamon pod)
1 small dried red pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper (you can use black if you want...i found this in the cupboard first)
2 whole cloves
1/3 cup of sugar (I used TJ organic cane suger...its just what i prefer)
1 heaping tbsp of light brown sugar
1 tsp or so of canola or vegetable oil.

1. Place enough oil to cover the bottom of the crockpot
2. Plug in crockpot and wait one minute for the oil to heat.  Then add in the whole spices (everything except the sugar, ground cinnamon and apples) and let them cook for a minute or two till it smells fragrant.
3.  Add in the rest of the ingredients.
4.  Cook for 4-5 hours.  Check on it every so often and stir it making sure its not burning or cooking unevenly. It will be done when all the apples are no longer solid and the sugars have caramelized.  Look for a medium to dark brown color.
5. Enjoy or can to save for later.

I decided to try canning for the first time.  Picked up the materials at the hardware store of all places, including a book on canning methods.  I tried various -marts first but they didn't carry canning jars.

I only have one, not so flattering picture of my outfit today.  My camera batteries are both drained and I can't find the charger anywhere...there maybe a short break from blog posts till i find it.  My hair is doing some crazy 70's flip today. It has a mind of its own.
Dress: Ross-Heather Grey Jersey dress-$15 (similar here or here)
Belt:Thrift Town-Rainbow colored belt-$2
Scarf-A gift from my friend when she visited Turkey-FREE!
Shoes:Old Navy-Faux leather Grecian sandals-$20


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