Plum and Pear Chutney

It seems that fall has finally arrived in Austria today. Last week, while it was still sunny and warm, I made a few jars of plum and pear chutney.

We had a really beautiful and sunny September this year and my dad’s plum tree bore the most delicious, purple plums. He picked a huge basket full for me and so I had to think up various ways of using them in my kitchen. First I made a plum crumble, as this is so quickly done (… and also eaten), then I made a sheet cake with plums and the last ones ended up in this chutney.

The plum and pear chutney is full of spices. Ginger, paprika, cinnamon and cloves add a special flavor. The sweetness of sugar and the acidity of vinegar combine masterfully and create an enchanting aroma.

I like chutney best with some cheese, some cold meat or in a sandwich. How do you pair chutney? Let me know!

Plum and Pear Chutney

1 kg (2 ¼ lb) plums, weighed when destoned
300 g (2/3 lb) onions
2 tablespoons oil
2 pears
250 g (1 ¼ cups) brown sugar
250 g (1 ¼ cups) gelling sugar (jam sugar)
160 ml (2/3 cups) red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon paprika powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt

Chop the onions and fry in the hot oil in a large pan. Peel the pears and slice them. Quarter the plums. Add the plums, pears and all the other ingredients. Stir carefully and slowly bring to the boil. Simmer over medium to low heat until the chutney starts to gel (about 30-40 minutes). Make the gel test by spooning some chutney on a chilled plate. If the chutney is no longer runny but homogenous then it is time to fill it into sterilized jars. Close the lids immediately and leave to cool completely.

Enjoy the colors and the flavors of fall! Have a wonderful time, my dears!
Yours, Simone

Here is the recipe for printing: