Fresh Apricot Chutney - A Summer Recipe | Greedy Gourmet

Question 1

When are apricots in season?

Accepted Answer

Apricots are a spring/summer fruit. They are in season from early May to July.

Question 2

What do you do with lots of apricots?

Accepted Answer

When you find yourself with a load of apricots, an apricot chutney recipe is the way to go! It lasts for ages, tastes amazing, goes with almost anything and is really easy to make.

Of course, apricots can always be made into apricot jam, as well as apricot desserts such as apricot tart or apricot cobbler. For me though, an apricot chutney is definitely the way to go!

Did you know that apricot pairs well with meat? Check out the following recipes:

- Pork Medallions with Apricot and Leek Sauce - apricot goes especially well with pork

- Lamb and Apricot Sosaties - you can substitute dried apricots with fresh ones!

- Grilled Curried Lamb Chops with Apricots - you can fling fresh apricots on the barbecue

- Halloumi Salad with Apricots, Avocado and Almonds - trust me, just try it with halloumi cheese!

Another idea is to dry the apricots. Dried apricots are delicious and good for you. Best of all, you can use dried apricots in anything, from cereals to smoothies or even as eaten on their own as a healthy snack.

Question 3

How do you pick good apricots?

Accepted Answer

A good rule for selecting apricots: If they smell sweet, they probably taste terrific.

For extra sweetness, they should be slightly soft when you give them a gentle squeeze.

Question 4

How do you remove seeds from apricots?

Accepted Answer

To remove the seed or ‘pit’ from apricots, you’ll need a sharp paring knife.

First, press the knife into the grain of the fruit, right up to the seed. Then, carefully turn the apricot to slowly cut it in half.

Now, take the pitted side and flip it pitside down. Repeat the first step, pressing the knife into the fruit and slowly cutting a line from top to bottom.

Take the quartered apricot, give it a pinch, and gently remove the stone.

Question 5

How do you make this chutney smoother?

Accepted Answer

Before you add all your ingredients to the cooking pot, you can blitz them in a food processor. This will give you a smoother consistency, instead of the traditional chunky chutney.

Question 6

How do you store apricot chutney?

Accepted Answer

If kept in a cool, dry and dark place, this chutney will keep for up to 2 years. Once opened, keep the apricot chutney in the fridge and consume within 3 weeks.

Question 7

Can you freeze this chutney?

Accepted Answer

It lasts such a long time when sealed and stored in a cool, dark place, that freezing isn’t really necessary.

Question 8

How do you sterilize jars?

Accepted Answer

In order to sterilize them, they need to be submerged in boiling hot water for 10–15 minutes.

The easiest way to do this is to use a canner (see ‘Products you need for this recipe’).

If you haven’t got a canner, you can follow my guide and learn how to sterilize jars in an oven.

Question 9

What other fruit can you combine apricot with?

Accepted Answer

The great thing about chutney recipes is their flexibility. So, with this recipe, make up your own divine combinations!

Swap 50% of the apricots in the recipe below with one of these following fruits:

Mangoes – like a shot of summer, mango and apricot is pure fruity heaven

Oranges – add a little zing to the chutney. Grate in some zest too

Peaches – they’re from the same family as apricots and make for a good pairing. Go for over ripe peaches for an sweet dimension

Raspberries – sweet and tart, raspberries are a good chutney ingredient

Cherries – bring a little tartness and sourness with a handful of cherries

Lingonberries – a distant cousin of cranberries, these little berries are sour and juicy, making for an interesting counterbalance to the sweet apricot

Nectarines – another from the Prunus family, the same as apricot, nectarine and apricot go great together

Pineapples – brings a zesty tang or a deep sweetness, depending on whether it’s a young or ripe pineapple

Plums – plums are a fantastic chutney ingredient. Pair them with apricot for a incredibly tasty chutney

Strawberries – this makes for a very interesting flavor combination

Cooking apples - tart apples work really well with apricot and spices, e.g. Bramleys

Sultanas – in this recipe you can reduce the apricots by 250g (½ lb) and replace them with 250g (½ lb) sultanas

Question 10

What other flavors work well with apricot chutney?

Accepted Answer

Again, with this chutney recipe, flexibility is the key. There’s a seemingly endless amount of flavor combinations you can use to create your very own masterpiece.

Here are a few suggestions of ingredients you could add to this apricot chutney recipe:

4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
3g (2 tsp) ground coriander
3g (2 tsp) cumin
5cm (2in) fresh ginger root, finely chopped or grated
15ml (1 tbsp) rose water
1g (1 tsp) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 vanilla pod
1 garlic clove, minced
22g (2 tbsp) mustard seeds
3g (1 tsp) ground turmeric
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 lime, juice and zest
1 orange, juice and zest
1g (½ tsp) allspice

Question 11

What alcohol pairs well with apricot?

Accepted Answer

Chutney has such a rich, complex taste, it’s no surprise that it pairs well with a fine tipple. Especially with some cheese added into the mix!

So, enjoy this apricot chutney as part of a cheeseboard, and try any of the following for a delicious three part combo:

Brandy
Cognac
Cointreau
Grand marnier
Kirsch
Sauternes

Alternatively, you can actually make your chutney boozy! Simply pour in 125ml (½ cup) of your preferred alcohol at the end of cooking time and bottle up your chutney as soon as possible.

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes