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Spicy Plum Chutney Recipe

Spicy Plum Chutney
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins, plus 12 hrs cooling time | Active Time: | Makes: 6 (4-ounce) jars

The ideal chutney balances sweet, spicy, and savory, and that’s what we’ve done with this plum version. The mustard seed and currants play off each other for a condiment that’d dress up anything from grilled chicken to a pan-seared pork chop.

You can, of course, make this recipe without canning it—just be sure to use or eat it within a week. If that’s an unrealistic venture, use the tips and instructions below to can the chutney.

Special equipment:
We’re assuming that you already have basic tools lying around (like cutting boards, bowls, and measuring cups), so here’s the special equipment you’ll need for canning:

  • 6 lids with sealing compound for 4-ounce jelly jars
INGREDIENTS
  • 8 plums, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup dried currants
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 large garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
For sanitizing the jars and lids:

  1. Wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Dry the lids and bands, and set aside.
  2. Place the jars in a boiling water canner or a 15- to 20-quart pot fitted with a canning rack and a lid. Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn off heat.
  3. Keep the jars in the hot water until ready for use, removing one at a time as needed.

For the chutney:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. Let cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3. Continue cooking, stirring frequently to make sure chutney does not burn, until chutney is syrupy, another 10 minutes.
  3. When chutney is ready, remove the jars from the hot water with a jar lifter, letting excess water drip off. Bring water in the canner back to a simmer (about 180°F) for processing the packed jars.
  4. Remove chutney from heat and fill the sterilized jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
  5. To remove any air bubbles, slide a clean rubber spatula down the side of each jar and press inward on the chutney while rotating the jar; repeat 2 to 3 times for each jar.

For processing the packed jars:

  1. Wipe the rim and threads of each jar with a clean, damp towel. Place the lids on the jars, checking that the sealing compound is centered. Fit the jars with bands and tighten just until resistance is met.
  2. Check that water in the pot or boiling water canner is at a simmer (about 180°F), and set the jars in the canning rack. (The jars must be covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. Add additional boiling water as necessary.)
  3. Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Process the jars for 10 minutes at a gentle but steady rolling boil. (Begin calculating the processing time once water is at a rolling boil. Check occasionally that water remains at a steady boil.)
  4. Once processed, remove the jars with the jar lifter and set upright, 1 to 2 inches apart, on a dry towel. Do not retighten the bands; let cool at least 12 hours.
  5. After the jars have cooled, check for a seal by pressing the center of each lid. If the center is concave and does not flex, remove the band and try to lift off the lid with your fingertips (don’t pull too hard). If you cannot lift the lid, there is a good vacuum seal. If the lid pops off, your jar did not properly seal. Eat the chutney within two months.
  6. To store properly processed jars, wipe each lid and jar with a clean, damp cloth (the bands don’t need to stay on for storage), label the jars, and store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Unopened jars can be kept up to a year when stored properly. Once opened, keep in the refrigerator and use within two months.
    Write a review | 16 Reviews

  • To give it more of a Moroccan feel I used dates instead of currants, ginger and cloves. I served it on pork chops with a hit of hot pepper oil and drizzled melted chocolate over the whole dish... YUMMY!!! I am going to try it with chicken next time and instead of cloves use cinnamon and saffron.

  • I made two batches of this recipe. For the first I used a mixture of Blufre and President plums and followed the recipe as is. It came out very tasty but not really spicy. So the second batch (same variety of plums) I added a cinnamon stick and about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, as suggested above. Wow that made it really good. I'll definitely make this again during next year's canning.

  • I made this on Saturday and it was sooo good. I will be making more again this weekend and this time I think I will add some ginger a little extra kick.

  • I made this today. I wish I had more plums to make another batch, my kitchen smells wonderful. I too used yellow plums (small ones from a friend's backyard tree) which were small enough once pitted that I didn't need to chop them any further. I substituted dried cranberries for the currants and like another reviewer, added one finely chopped jalapeno pepper and a pinch of ground cloves.

  • I just made this as a double batch. I used yellow plums, and my additions were a habanero, a pinch of cloves, and some toasted and ground pink peppercorns. YUM. This would be really good with a fall pork roast or goose or duck.

  • Gah-- don't go reducing the acid in recipes that you're going to water bath can, folks. Acid is super important-- that's why the conventional, food-safety-checked recipes call for (icky) bought lemon juice and 5% vinegar...

  • oh man this is delicious! the red pepper flakes and cinnamon were a great addition, too...however, i didn't add the lemon juice because my plums were already tart.

    wanderingt, if you're using a sweeter plum (like the dark purple ones) lemon juice and a little underripe would be best, i think...but tart plums of any variety will be lovely, too.

  • I made this Chuney with big red plums. I do not know the correct name for them. Make sure they are not too ripe. That way they are a little tart and add more flavor. They turned out great.

  • you can use practically any plum......of course the results will differ with each type but i'll bet they'll all be tasty and a lovely colour!

  • I'm new to making my own chutneys. Would someone be kind enough to let me know if I need to use a certain kind of plum? The only plums in season, here, are yellow plums, a very crispy, sweet, bright red plum, and these gigantic purple plums that are shaped more like a mango. Would any of these work?

  • I've been plotting the menu for our holiday party, and I want to serve pork tenderloin with a spice rub that we've been serving with grilled plums this summer.

    My dilemma has been that I needed something to substitute for the plums. Needless to say, my dilemma has been solved.

  • molly, how about posting your pineapple chutney on home cooking, pretty please.

  • Thanks, Barry that is so good to know. I will put the remainder in small containers and freeze. When I tweaked the recipe I added red pepper flakes. Like you said you don't use a lot at one time and there are only two of us. I love Chuneys. I Live in FL and make Mango Chuney when they are in season, also have a great Pineapple Chuney recipe. Tried Tomatoe, but I did not care for it. Do you have a good recipe for Tamatoe?

  • I just wanted to mention that I've made an almost identical chutney (using wild plums), and it freezes beautifully. If you don't want to go through the whole canning thing, just get out all your old single-serving yogurt containers, etc. (use small ones, since you don't eat that much chutney at a time), ladle it in, and throw it in the freezer. It lasts a good long time. And I'd add some hot pepper too.

  • SPM, I made this today. I cut the recipe in half and tweaked it a bit. I added a stick of cinnanmen, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and used red dried cherries, as I did not have any currants. It turned out great. It made almost a pint, that I put in a pint glass jar and refridgerated.I think this will be really good on turkey sandwitches. I have made other chutnneys and have kept in the fridge 2 to 3 weeks and had no problem. Thanks to Mollenkamp for sharing the recipe.

  • I'd like to try this but don't have a canning rack. Could I just put the hot chutney in the sterilized jars without processing. I've done that with jam. Since there is so much sugar wouldn't that preserve the chutney?

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