The Cottage Smallholder

“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 by David and Rose Mabey. If you ever come across a copy- buy it, just the best recipe book for preserves, my copy is falling apart, so I’m after another one!”

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:

1. Peel and chop onions and apples cook slowly in some of the vinegar until soft.
2. Add peeled chopped bananas ( make them chunky) chopped dates and chopped ginger.
3. Blend spices and mix to paste with some of the vinegar. Add to pan.
4. Cook slowly until it starts to look thick and pulpy.
5. Stir in sugar and salt and rest of vinegar- add extra if it gets too thick.
6. 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.