Recipe Red Onion and Grape Chutney

SatNavSaysStraightOn

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With the current ingredient challenge being grapes, it got me thinking about chutneys. I eat them pretty much everyday. My lunch is the same everyday and I vary it with the use of chutney. But chutneys have a lot of sugar in them if you're not careful and as I sat there looking at the amount of sugar added to the onion chutney I was eating, I began to wonder why if I was going to add sugar ,it couldn't at least be in the form of grapes. Hence this recipe . I went easy with the herbs and spices, so if you want it really hot rather than only just coming through increase the amount of chilli flakes you use or even put in a fresh chilli whilst it is cooking . I went with dried herbs simply because of the availability right now . Double the quantity of you want to use fresh, the exception being with bay leaves. Mine were off my bay tree and hence fresh.

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Ingredients
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1kg red onions, chopped
200g seedless grapes, chopped
1 whole cinnamon stick
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried thyme
2-3 bay leaves
250ml balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp brown sugar (optional, to taste)

Method
  1. In a heavy bottom pan or preserving pan, heat the oil until got, then add the onions and mix well to ensure all of the onions are well coated, cook until they start to soften
  2. Now add the chopped grapes and all of the herbs and spices. Cook over a higher heat to caramelise the onions and cook the grapes. The grapes will soften and release their sugars. The onions should just be starting to catch on the bottom of the pan, but not burn.
  3. Turn the heat down to low and add the vinegar stirring well. Now simmer away until virtually all of the vinegar had been boiled off. Taste and season accordingly (remember to consider sweetness and sugar levels when seasoning, sugar as well as vinegar is a preservative and you may need to add a teaspoon of two to suit your tastes. I didn't add any.
  4. Put up the hot chutney carefully into freshly sterilised jars. I needed 5 smaller chutney jars for this batch and I also used hot jars when potting up the hot chutney because I've had the odd one or two break on me over the years when the jars have been allowed to cool down after sterilising them. Apply the sterilised lids immediately and wait for the contents to cool before putting them into storage (I keep mine at the back on a fridge now that I lack a cold pantry).
 
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Brilliant use of grapes! I "discovered" that "undried" fruits can be used in chutney, and they work extremely well. I was forced down that path because Weight Watchers allows you to eat all the fresh fruit you want, but penalizes for dried fruit. While this seems idiotic (and it sort of is), I can understand why: I can happily sit and eat a box of raisins at a sitting, but I'm not likely to eat an entire bunch of grapes...the water content fills you up.

But, when you're simmering, it doesn't matter. You're actually rehydrating raisins when they soak with the vinegar and the juices of other fruits (like mango) you might invite to the party. Here, the grapes provide the flavor, and also the moisture that would have been released by a mango.

I'm definitely making this sometime. I did make a Mango Plum Chutney not long ago, and it was terrific.
 
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