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Five-Spice Plum Chutney

Source of Recipe

From "The Pickled Pantry" by Andrea Chesman


Recipe Introduction

"Five-spice powder, available wherever Asian foods are sold, is usually made up of equal parts ground cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns, a combination that is unmistakably exotic and appealing. This chutney makes a great dipping sauce for egg rolls."

List of Ingredients

◦ 6 pounds Italian prune plums
◦ 2 onions, finely chopped
◦ 4 cloves garlic, minced
◦ 1 cup cider vinegar
◦ � cup honey
◦ 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
◦ � teaspoon cayenne pepper
◦ � teaspoon pickling or fine sea salt


Recipe

Plunge the plums into boiling water for 1 minute to loosen the skins, then plunge into ice water. Peel and pit the plums.

Combine the plums, onions, garlic, cider vinegar, honey, five-spice powder, cayenne, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer until the mixture becomes a smooth sauce, about 1 hour. As the chutney cooks, stir frequently to avoid scorching and break the plums up with the spoon. Ladle the hot chutney into clean hot half-pint canning jars, leaving � inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles and seal.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Store in a cool, dry place.

Makes 5 half-pints







❧ Kitchen Note:
Italian prune plums may also be called European plums or Stanley plums. They have dusky purple skins and green flesh. These plums are less juicy than Japanese plums and are better for cooking and baking.