Pumpkin Chutney

This is a gorgeous golden yellow chutney that brings the colours of Autumn into your dining room for the rest of the year. This is the way to use up the pumpkin flesh from all those Halloween pumpkins! Save the pumpkin seeds, dry most of them in a low oven for a nutritious snack and save some to sow.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pumpkin skinned and deseeded and cubed into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 pound apples peeled, cored and chopped.
2 1/2 ounces fresh shredded ginger
3-4 red chillies deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp fresh mustard seeds
1 3/4 pints cider vinegar
1 pound soft brown or white sugar
1 tbsp salt.

Method

1. Mix everything except sugar and salt in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until pumpkin is tender. (It's all right to leave the pumpkin with a bit of a bite.)
2. Add the sugar and salt and return to the boil, stirring to make sure the sugar has dissolved.
3. Simmer for about an hour, or until the desired thick consistency has been reached.
4. Ladle into hot sterilised jars. ready to eat in one month and will last two years.

For a quick meal stir a couple of tablespoonfuls of chutney through some hot rice, or serve with curries or cold meat.

Green Tomato Chutney

Any-one with a vegetable patch will know the feeling of joy as tomatoes begin to appear, and then the feeling of despair as they keep appearing in a good year. This is an excellent way of using green tomatoes if a plant falls over, or if you just think there are too many on a plant and need to remove some.

Don't be scared by the ingredient list it is really very easy.

1.5 pounds green tomatoes
1 pound green apples
8 ounces coarse chopped onions
1 tablespoon salt ( 15ml tbsp)
4oz raisins
1 pound soft brown sugar
8 fluid ounces cider vinegar
rind and juice of two lemons
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2-3 chopped deseeded red chillies ( make sure you know how hot they are!)

In a muslin bag:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon cloves
2 crushed cinnamon sticks

Note: About the muslin bag...I used a piece of a clean pillow case last time and that worked well, any porous clean cloth will do.

1. Peel and chop the tomatoes.
2. Peel , core and chop the apples and add the peelings etc, to the spice bag.
3. Put the tomatoes, apples, onions and salt into a large pan and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for twenty minutes.
4. Add the raisins, lemon juice and rind, sugar, vinegar and spice bag and return to the boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer for thirty minutes, or until the mixture is nice and thick.
5. While the mixture simmers wash out your jars and put them and the lids into a low oven to sterilize.
6. Add the mustard seeds and chillies and pour mixture into warmed jars. Seal and leave for one month before eating.

I have to admit that I often don't peel the tomatoes, just give them a good wash. Green tomatoes are difficult to peel, and I am often using small " windfall" fruit. The skin doesn't alter the flavour and isn't really noticeable in the finished product.

The mustard seeds are optional, some people don't like the texture. The chillies can also be omitted if you don't want their kick in the finished product.