Seasonal Ontario Food

This has been a very strange year for weather, so pretty much normal, then. Normal for now, anyway. As a result of the combination of mostly rather cool days interspersed with the occasional heat-wave level stinker, my rhubarb plants have only just reached a sufficient height to pick from them, but already they wanted to send up flowering stalks, which generally signals the end of rhubarb season. I pulled the flowering stalks out and put them in the compost and generally intend to pretend that never happened. 

 

The actual rhubarb I picked was not the most tender, but it is generally useable and tastes good. Once it got simmered into this tasty melange it was just fine. 

I'm sure there are a lot of things you can serve this chutney with, but I know that I will probably eat about 90% of it with good sharp Cheddar and crackers. 

One of the things I am finding is that as I reduce the amount of sugar that I put into things, the amount of spices must also go down, or they will be out of balance.

 

5 x 100 ml

1 hour 30 minutes - 1 hour prep time 

 

4 cups diced rhubarb

2 cups diced onion

1/4 cup peeled slivered fresh ginger

1 teaspoon pickling salt

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

 

Wash and trim the rhubarb, and cut it into short pieces. Put it in a canning kettle. Peel and chop the onions, and add them. Peel and slice the ginger thinly across the grain, then into thin slivers and add them.

 

Add the raisins, vinegar, and sweetener of your choice. 

 

Grind the pepper and allspice with the salt, then add them to the kettle along with the rest of the spices. Turn the heat on and bring the mixture up to a simmer, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly, until the rhubarb has completely disintegrated and the mixture has thickened. It will be fairly thin at the start as the rhubarb begins to break up, but it will be quite thick by the end and will need more frequent stirring the thicker it gets.

As soon as the chutney has been started, place 5 or 6 canning jars in the canner (along with a half-sized jar or 2, just in case) and cover them with water to cover them by about 1". Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. This will take about 45  minutes, conveniently enough. Add a ladle and funnel to sterilize as well.

While the chutney cooks and the jars sterilize, prepare the lids and rings. They need go go into boiling water to cover them for 1 minute (or according to manufacturers instructions) once you are ready to bottle the chutney. 

Remove the sterilized jars from the canner with a jar lifter, draining them well and place them on a heat-proof board. Use the sterilized funnel and ladle to fill the jars with the chutney. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a bit of paper towel dipped in boiling water and seal with the prepared lids and rings. Return them to the canner full of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes before removing them. Let cool and check that they have sealed properly. 

Jars should last for up to 1 year, unopened, when kept in a cool, dark spot. Refrigerate once opened. Use it to give a little verve to cheese, baked chicken or fish, samosas, or whatever else you can think of. 

Last year at this time I made Lentils with Sorrel & Poached Eggs.