I need help please....I have a loquat tree and it put out fruit for the...

O

orchid

Well-known member
first time this year so I decided to make chutney. I found this recipe on line and made it yesterday. It's good but a bit to vinegary. Is there any way that I can balance out the vinegar a bit now? I followed the recipe exactly except I didn't grate the apple, I fine diced it. Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds loquats* -- seeded

1 pound onion -- chopped

1/2 pound grated apple

1 pound sugar

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon molasses

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 pint vinegar

2 cups water

1/4 cup raisins

Wash, stone and cut up loquats into small pieces.

Prepare apples and onions.

Put all ingredients in a pot and boil gently until soft and a good colour.

Pour into hot jars and seal.

*Unfortunately, not all of us have access to loquats. Try substituting this with half plums and half pears.

 
If it is too vinegary when first made, age for at least a month, though two would be better. . .

If you are canning the chutney, age it before use get the best flavor meld and to reduce the vinegary flavor. The flavor should improve with age in the canning jar. You could also try upping the sugar content of the recipe but never, never reduce the vinegar. Vinegar is in the recipe to help make it acid enough preserve it and to safely home can. DO NOT DOUBLE THE OTHER INGREDIENTS WITHOUT DOUBLING THE VINEGAR TOO IF YOU ARE HOME CANNING, FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

IF YOU ARE *NOT* canning the chutney, and are only storing it in the refrigerator try doubling the other ingredients as mentioned above or you can try reducing the vinegar amountby 1/3 to 1/2 to get the same effect in a single recipe. Or, you can add baking soda, a small pinch at a time stirred in to the chutney till well dissolved, till the chutney is as tangy as you wish.

If it were my home canned chutney, I would follow the recipe EXACTLY, let it age in the jar and taste after aging. If it were too tangy/vinegary still, then I might try the baking soda trick above, stirring it into the jars after I opened them and taking care to dissolve the soda well.

 
One thing to remember is that chutney will mellow with age. Many recipes...

will tell you to let the chutney rest for a few weeks before serving. Maybe it will mellow after sitting for a bit. I know that refrigerating a chutney will keep it sharper than if it is at room temperature. Lucky you!

 
Oh Mistral, thank you so much! I am canning it so that is what I will...

do. I'll let it age for a couple of months and then see what I have. Thank you!

 
Thank you Dawn, I'm learning from you and Mistral to let it age...

I've never made chutney before and never had loquats before for that matter. We were given the tree and honestly I thought it was like a kumquat until I did some searching on it. They taste very similar to a peach. I hope I can save this. LOL

 
Orchid, how old is your tree? I am waiting for my 2-yr old Loquat to get old enough to fruit

 
(Hey, this is my 50th post! I'm now "official". Alert the media.) On loquats, though . . .

I made loquat preserves last year and try as I might, they had very little flavor as preserves . . .while it went against my desire to have a pure loquat spread, I added a little grated lemon zest which gave it some "punch". Otherwise, it was nothing other than a labor-intensive, ubiquitous tasting "fruit" preserve.

Disappointing for me but I know now that the loquats are going to be best when served fresh and raw. Oh well.

 
Cathy, I have had it planted exactly 4 years this month and it was...

in a container and maybe 2' tall. It is leaning slightly east after hurricane Wilma but considering every tree (and MUCH more) around the area is gone, I'm happy to have the fruit. Maybe that is why I so want to save this chutney! Ya think? smileys/wink.gif

 
LOL...labor intensive it is! Sous-chef Hubby was starting to whine...

a little. They are messy little critters but I still think it will be worth it if I can get the vinegar right.

 
Also, I have been doing some research and have found that it is...

important to do some serious pruning after harvest. And I will get prepared for the next crop and figure out some way to protect them from the birds. They made me insane.

 
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