Mango And Tamarind Chutney

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Mangoes can be unripe, half-ripe or part unripe and part ripe. Using
part or all almost-ripe fruit will yield a chutney with a softer
texture. If you like jammy chutney, cut the fruit into small bits;  for
a chunky product, use 1/2" or larger cubes and stop cooking the
mixture as soon as the fruit pieces are translucent.  **In place of the
crushed dried red pepper, can substitute 2 dried hot  peppers (each 2
1/2 to 3" long) which have been seeded and crumbled,  or 1 tb. finely
minced red or green fresh hot peppers. Increase any  of these if you
are sure you want a hotter chutney.  Crumble tamarind into a small bowl
and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the  water; let tamarind soak for at least an
hour, meanwhile preparing  the remaining ingredients. Or substitute the
fresh lime juice plus  1/2 cup of water at this point.  Peel and dice
the mangoes, cutting them into small pieces for a  jamlike chutney,
into 1/2" or larger dice for a chunky mixture. Place  the pieces in a
preserving pan. Add the onions, raisins, currants,  ginger, garlic,
lemon zest, brown and granulated sugars, mustard  seed, salt, crushed
hot red pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves,  ground red pepper, white
vinegar and the remaining 1 cup water; stir  the mixture and let it
rest until the tamarind "juice" is ready, or  for up to several hours,
if that is convenient.  When the tamarind pulp is very soft, strain the
liquid through a  sieve, pressing it to remove all possible liquid and
any pulp that  will pass through.  Discard the pulp remaining in the
sieve. Add the  liquid to the chutney mixture.  Set the pan over medium
heat and bring the ingredients to a boil.  Lower the heat so the
mixture simmers and cook it, uncovered,  stirring often, until the
mango and onion pieces are translucent and  the chutney has thickened
to the consistency of preserves, 1 to 2  hours depending on the
firmness of the fruit.  (The chutney will  thicken further in the jar,
so don't reduce it too much.)  If the  chutney threatens to stick
before the mango pieces are translucent,  add a little water.  Remove
chutney from the heat, cool a sample, and taste it for  tartness,
sweetness, and degree of hotness. (The overall flavor is  elusive at
this point, but these factors can be judged.) If you wish,  add a
little more vinegar, sugar or ground hot red pepper.  Reheat the
chutney to boiling and ladle it into hot, clean pint or  half-pint
canning jars, leaving 1/4" of headspace. Seal the jars;  process for 15
minutes (for either size jar) in a boiling-water bath.  Cool, label,
and store the jars for a least a month so that its many  flavors can
blend and balance.  This will keep for at least a year in  a cool
pantry.  Yield: 6 to 7 cups.  From Fancy Pantry by Helen Witty.  New
York: Workman Publishing  Company, Inc., 1986.  Pp. 56-58.  ISBN
0-89480-037-X. Typed for you  by Cathy Harned.  From Gemini's MASSIVE
MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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