Dark Cherry Chutney Canning Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can chutney be canned? ›

Is it possible to can chutney? Like pickles, the low acid peppers, onion, and seasonings used in chutney must have added vinegar to make the mixture acid enough for safe canning.

Place drained cherries in boiling syrup, juice, or water and bring to a boil. Fill clean jars with hot cherries and cooking liquid, leaving ½ inch (13 mm) of headspace. Fill jars with drained cherries and cover with your choice of boiling liquid, leaving ½ inch (13 mm) of headspace. Remove air bubbles.

Put cleaned and prepared fruit in a 4- to 6-quart bowl; add enough pectin syrup to glaze the fruit with a thin film. Gently fold fruit to coat each piece with syrup. Pack into freezer containers, leaving ½- to 1½-inch headspace depending on container type. Seal, label, date and freeze.

Preserving chutneys is accomplished by using the hot water bath technique of canning. Factors that help in its preservation include: Acidity – The acidity (low pH) of the chutney prevents growth of several spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, molds and yeasts.

Unopened bottled cherry juice can be good to use for up to 18 to 24 months if stored properly. This is under the assumption that it is stored at room temperature and not exposed to heat or direct sunlight. Once opened, it should be refrigerated immediately and consumed within 7 to 10 days.

I am happy to eliminate the time-consuming step of pitting them prior to canning. However, when I prepare to can cherry pie filling, I pit the cherries with a cherry pitter, but with this recipe, you don't have to; it's a personal preference.

The abdominal pain and diarrhea are caused by sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that's a type of carbohydrate found in some fruits and plants. And weight gain can occur as a result of extra calories from drinking excessive amounts of juice and the added sugar found in many brands of tart cherry juice.

A pressure canner is not necessary for canning cherries—water bath canning is a DIY way to preserve your fruit. In a stockpot, bring water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover your jars with a two-inch headspace as you will eventually submerge them in your water bath canner.

Wash and sterilize your quart (1L) jars. Fill a large water bath canner with water and begin heating it over high heat. Meanwhile, wash and pit fresh cherries. They can be left whole or halved, depending on your desired outcome.

Pit and stem all the cherries. Stuff as many cherries as you can into a warm, quart sized mason jar, leaving about an half-inch of room at the top of the jar (cherries/water will expand once frozen.)

What are the best cherries for canning? ›

Royal Ann and Rainer are popular light sweet cherries. Sweet cherries are great eaten fresh, canned, dried and brandied. Popular varieties of sour cherries are Montmorency, North Star and Meteor. Sour cherries are used in pies, cobblers, jam, jellies, preserves, and sauces and also dried.

You can home can delicious sweet or sour cherries for future use in cooking or for eating on their own. Here, we are canning them plain in water, to provide total flexibility in how they are used in the future. If you canned them sweetened, that could restrict their use.

Like most finished unopened preserves, chutney has at least a year's shelf life, as long as it's stored in a cool dark place. Some chutneys might even last up to two years. When opened, tightly covered and stored in the fridge, chutney should last at least a month.

Low-acid pressure canned foods — such as carrots or green beans — should have any leftovers stored in the fridge and used up in 2 to 3 days. High-acid foods such as pickles, relishes, chutneys, can be stored in the fridge for at least up to a year.

Add cornstarch: Mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Gradually add the mixture to the chutney while stirring. Cook for a few more minutes until the chutney thickens. Add ground nuts: Add some ground nuts like almonds or cashews to the chutney, which will help thicken it.

Chutney is a type of jam made without any additional pectin and flavored with vinegar and various spices, and it's often found in Indian cuisines. Preserves contain the most physical fruit of the bunch — either chopped into larger pieces or preserved whole, in the case of things like cherry or strawberry preserves.