Red Pepper Mango Chutney (with canning instructions)

or Peach, Plum, or Pear.

In the subtropical cloud forest of Ecuador where I live, twice a year we have big mango harvests. In addition to the big green and red mangoes that are good for slicing and eating, there are slightly smaller golden mangoes fairly oozing with sticky juice, and small sunny yellow mangos pa' chupar — perfect for sucking all the aromatic honey-like flavor from around the large seed inside. I always marvel at the deftness with which abuelitas ecuatorianas can extract every drop of sweetness from this variety without getting any either on their hands or clothing, even while riding a city bus careening at breakneck speed and jolting to sudden stops. Gringa that I am, you always know if I’ve been eating mangoes because I’m usually wearing half the juice on my shirt. 

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There’s such an abundance of mangoes when they are in season, and such a dearth when they’re not, I’ve learned to preserve them in this richly flavored spicy chutney. If you’re not in a tropical locale, I suggest you stay with the spirit of preserving foods that are plentiful in season and use regional peaches, nectarines, pears, or plums in this recipe. They are all good! If you really want to make this chutney with mangoes, try shopping for them at your local Latin or Asian food market; they are generally cheaper and more flavorful. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cider vinegar

  • 2 cups white unbleached sugar or natural brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup salt

  • 3 small hot red peppers, (jalapeño, ahí, chili, or cayenne) 

  • 2 large garlic cloves

  • 1 large or 2 small green onions (scallions)

  • A 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger OR ½ tsp powdered ginger

  • A 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric OR ½ tsp powdered turmeric 

  • ½ tsp cumin seeds

  • ½ tsp coriander seeds

  • A few large black peppercorns, a few cloves, and a star anise (all optional)

  • 1 large or 2 small limes (try to use a type with a thin peel like sutíl) 

  • 3 lbs of fresh fruit mango (OR peach, nectarine, plum, or pear)

Utensils

  • Heavy 2 qt (or larger) saucepan

  • Wooden spoon

  • 4 clean pint jars with clean lids for sealing

  • Larger pot with lid for hot packing 

  • Tongs for lifting out jars

Directions

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  1. De-seed and thinly slice the hot peppers. Mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press. Thinly slice the green onion. If using fresh ginger and turmeric, thinly slice, then mince. Quarter and very thinly slice the lime. Peel and slice the fruit into chunks.

  2. Combine ALL ingredients EXCEPT the lime and chunked fruit in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil.

  3. While these ingredients are coming up to a boil, put your jars and lids in another large pot of cool water and heat to boiling. Never put jars into water that is already hot; they can crack. Always heat the water and jars together. Use only jars in perfect condition (no nicks) and new lids with no nicks or scratches. Even a small nick will prevent the jar from sealing. When canning, always put safety first.

  4. Once the vinegar and spices comes to a boil, maintain at a medium boil for 2 minutes. Then add the lime and fruit and cook until the fruit is tender, about 10 minutes. Keep the heat on a very low simmer while you organize your jars. 

  5. To keep everything sterile while I work, I pack the jars one at a time.

  6. Carefully lift a jar out of the hot water with tongs and place on the counter. Fill the hot jar with the hot chutney and right away put on a hot lid. Make sure you leave ½-inch headspace at the top of the jar. Proceed one by one until your jars are packed. If you have a little chutney left over, don’t worry. Just let it cool down, put it in another jar and make sure you consume it within a week or so. Or keep it in the fridge for a few weeks. 

  7. Once all your jars are properly packed, adjust and hand tighten the lids, wipe any spills or dribbles and put them back in the large pot of hot water. Make sure the jars are submerged at least an inch under the level of the water. Bring the water back up to a boil and keep at a medium boil for at least ten minutes. Check the boiling time for your altitude for safe hot-packing. Keep an eye on your jars and nudge them apart with a wooden spoon if they knock against each other (if you don’t have a jar rack). 

  8. When the jars have boiled the necessary amount of time, turn off the heat and let them sit in the water bath for 5-10 minutes, until the water cools to warmish-hot. If you lift them out too soon, they can crack from the abrupt temperature change.

  9. Once your jars are cool, admire them for a moment before storing in a cool dark place. Properly sealed, they will keep for one year.

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Kristen Krash is the co-founder and director of Sueño de Vida, a regenerative cacao farm and reforestation mission in Ecuador. Sueño de Vida works to educate and inspire everyday people about permaculture, sustainable living, environmental activism, and healthy living all in the name of living more in harmony with nature to create a better world for us all.

You can support the Sueño de Vida mission today by purchasing our cacao or contributing to direct reforestation.

Thank you.


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