Guest spot: Quick Banana Chutney recipe for Christmas and beyond by Kate(uk)
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Christmas, Chutney and Pickles | 51 comments
“Fiona, would you be interested in a recipe for banana chutney? It sounds odd, but I can assure you that it is the very, very best chutney with cold turkey and if made this week will be ready for use on boxing day.
As long as it is kept secret or you will find family members standing with empty jar in one hand, dessert spoon in the other and a guilty look on their faces”
“Yes please.”
Just reading her email made me desperate to get my hands on the recipe. A superb chutney that only takes 10 days to mature. This would be perfect for Christmas.
Kate continued,
“This recipe comes from Jams Pickles and Chutneys
She has given the recipe her own twist,
“I add far more ginger than it says and I use stem ginger not the crystallised stuff. I have also made it using up old sultanas and raisins instead of dates- just as good! Made with crushed green coriander seeds it is fabulously aromatic, a bit of star anise is fun too. It takes about ten days to mature, after that, it will vanish…wonderful with some piquant cheese, turkey or stirred into yogurt as a dip.”
I’m planning to use double the amount of stem ginger. Danny can’t take malt vinegar (acid tummy) so we are going to use cider vinegar.
Quick Banana Chutney recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 Bananas
- 8oz/226g stoned dates (sultans and raisins can be used instead)
- 8oz/226g cooking apples
- 1lb/454g onions
- 2oz/57g crystallised ginger (Kate uses stem ginger)
- Salt
- 1tsp ground allspice
- 1tsp turmeric
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1tsp ground coriander (or green, crushed coriander seeds for extra aroma)
- 8oz/226g brown sugar
- 0.5 pint/236ml malt vinegar
Method:
- Peel and chop onions and apples cook slowly in some of the vinegar until soft.
- Add peeled chopped bananas ( make them chunky) chopped dates and chopped ginger.
- Blend spices and mix to paste with some of the vinegar. Add to pan.
- Cook slowly until it starts to look thick and pulpy.
- Stir in sugar and salt and rest of vinegar- add extra if it gets too thick.
- When nice and thick boil briefly and bottle in warm sterilised jars.
As with all chutney don’t use cellophane lids to seal the jars as the vinegar will evaporate. Used plastic lined metal lids or plastic lids.
Leave a reply
Hi Lysy
This banana chutney is delicious and as Kate(uk) says is good with bananas that are just going over.
Thanks for leaving a comment and such positive feedback – much appreciated.
This looks fantastic! I love chutney and also have a complete weakness for buying reduced bananas that are about to go off – now I can marry the two together! This is the first time I’ve ever written a comment on a blog despite being an avid reader of many – I was moved by your post about receiving feedback (why should you have to do all the entertaining?!)
I’ve only just found your blog, and look forward to trawling through all your old posts – it looks so interesting
Hi Kate(uk)
Your chutney is really good! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Danny trawled the internet and has found your recommended David and Rose Mabey book at a reasonable price – it arrived yesterday but I haven’t had a peek as I’m getting it for Christmas!
Hello chutney makers- I thought of you all also making my banana chutney recipe while I was making mine on Saturday- I know I said it takes about 10 days to mature, but actually you can eat it straight away if the bananas are a bit ripe and sweet… I had some left that wasn’t enough for even a small jar, so it was saucepan licking time.Bliss.
That aubergine chutney sounds interesting!
Hi Mildred
This is scrumptious. I made this recipe tonight and within an hour Danny had crept down from the Rat Room and asked what exactly was I making?
Hi Kate
As I said I doubled the ginger (fresh stem rather than crystallised). Even though it will take 10 days to mature it already tastes good!
Hi Joanna
We now have 8 jars of this elixir. The problem is choosing who will benefit!
Hi Danny
It tastes good even before it has matured.
Hi Minamoo,
I didn’t realise that the flavour of Kenyan bananas is more intense. This chutney was easy to make and smells amazing.
I love aubergine chutney.
HI WHen doubling the stem ginger did you use 4ox on total? Can’t wait to try it!
OOh this recipe looks really good! I think I shall pass it on to my mum who lives in Kenya as they always get tons of lovely bananas down there so this would be an excellent way of using them up. Our bananas are green though and as they ripen they spot like the yellow ones but their flavour is MUCH more intense than any of the yellow ones which we import from Uganda. And if you ever hear someone shouting “Ndizi!” outside the house it’s probably the lovely Giriama ladies who grow their bananas with absolutely no chemicals so they taste EVEN better although they have a tendency of going off quite quickly. My mum loves new and inventive chutney recipes so I’m sure she’ll like this one. My favourite of hers is this aubergine chutney that she makes that s absolutely heavenly!
Thanks for this succulent idea, Kate. Can’t wait to try it with our goose on Christmas Day. If mum-in-law approves then you are our Best Friend For Life!
Danny
Great present to take my sister-in-law and my cousin on Christmas Day – thanks for this. And thanks for the tip about the recipe book – always good to have recommendations from real use and usefulness!
Joanna
I think this sounds delicious – I would love to try it. Something different … and I love bananas and dates. It’s also good to have tips like putting in extra ginger.
What a wonderful recipe . . . it looks scrumptious and I can’t wait to make it!!