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Prepped ingredients for Spicy Cranberry Pineapple Chutney
Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments

Spicy Cranberry Pineapple Chutney.

Living in Canada for the past 30 + years means that I’ve come to enjoy and embrace the seasons. So when I came across some delicious dried cranberries at the St Jacob’s Farmers’ Market this fall, I had to grab some to experiment with in the kitchen. It just so happens that it’s also fresh cranberry and apple cider season too.

1 cup dark brown sugar
2 lbs cranberries (washed)
3 cups apple cider
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 bay leaves
2 cardamom pods
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 large pineapple (peeled/cored/diced)
1 habanero pepper (optional)
3/4 lb dried cranberries

Notes! If making this dish gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I suggest that you follow along with the video below as much more about the recipe is discussed there.

Add the brown sugar to a deep (heavy) pot then turn the heat to med/low and cook. Stir as it melts, then go a dark brown in color (watch the video below).

It does not need to bubble or go frothy. At this point you’ll add the fresh cranberries (I used fresh, but previously frozen will also work) and stir well.

Add the apple cider (use apple juice if you don’t have cider), stir then add the salt, bay leaves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, along with the zest and juice of the lemon. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the pineapple. May I recommend dicing the pineapple into 1/4 inch pieces and not as large as you see in the image above.

You may now add the dried cranberries along with the Habanero pepper, providing you want it spicy. Any spicy pepper will work if you cannot source a habanero. However, as mentioned, it’s definitely an optional ingredient.

As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes. Should you find that it’s getting too thick, add more apple cider.

Keep in mind that the chutney (word used loosely as this could also be considered a jam) will thicken as it cools. You’re looking for something with texture/body, tart, spicy and rounded with an undertone of spiced tartness.

Store in sterilized glass containers in the fridge. Like my Cranberry Mango Sauce and the Cranberry Sorrel Jam I did a few years ago, this will go great with your holiday ham, thanksgiving turkey or as a spread on your morning toast and afternoon sandwiches.

Recipe Card

Spicy Cranberry Pineapple Chutney

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 40 mins Total Time 55 mins
Servings: 8

Description

This chutney combines the tartness of cranberries with the sweetness of pineapple and the warmth of Caribbean spices, creating a versatile condiment that enhances both holiday and everyday meals.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. Add the brown sugar to a deep (heavy) pot then turn the heat to med/low and cook. Stir as it melts, then go a dark brown in color (watch the video below). It does not need to bubble or go frothy.
  2. At this point you’ll add the fresh cranberries (I used fresh, but previously frozen will also work) and stir well.
  3. Add the apple cider (use apple juice if you don’t have cider), stir then add the salt, bay leaves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, along with the zest and juice of the lemon. Bring to a boil.
  4. Stir in the pineapple. May I recommend dicing the pineapple into 1/4 inch pieces and not as large as you see in the image above.
  5. You may now add the dried cranberries along with the Habanero pepper, providing you want it spicy. Any spicy pepper will work if you cannot source a habanero. However, as mentioned, it’s definitely an optional ingredient.
  6. As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes. Should you find that it’s getting too thick, add more apple cider.
  7. Keep in mind that the chutney (word used loosely as this could also be considered a jam) will thicken as it cools. You’re looking for something with texture/body, tart, spicy and rounded with an undertone of spiced tartness.
  8. Store in sterilized glass containers in the fridge. Like my Cranberry Mango Sauce and the Cranberry Sorrel Jam I did a few years ago, this will go great with your holiday ham, thanksgiving turkey or as a spread on your morning toast and afternoon sandwiches.

Note

If making this dish gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements. May I suggest that you follow along with the video as much more about the recipe is discussed there.

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Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Traditional Coconut Chutney

With mom and dad visiting this past summer I had the help I needed to put together one of the most requested recipes, coconut chutney. A spicy condiment which is an excellent topping for many of the street foods you’d find being sold in Trinidad and Tobago, especially ‘doubles’. Traditionally a mortar and pestle or ‘seal’ (a flat stone with a rounded one for grinding) would be used in making coconut chutney. With this in mind you’ll notice that we did encounter some problems getting the right texture, but we found a good medium in using the box grater along with a food blender.

 

You’ll Need…

1 dried coconut
3 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet pepper
teaspoon salt
4 leaves of Chadon Beni (culantro)

 

Notes. If you can’t source shado beni, you can also use twice the amount of cilantro. If you wondering why I needed help in making something so simple.. I hate grating, so I got dad to jump in with the box grater. Grated my fingers as a kid and the memory is still fresh. If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the ingredient list to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. 

When buying a dried coconut be aware of the following. Give it a shake and ensure you can hear liquid moving around inside. The dried coconut may be wrapped in a plastic wrap (especially in North America), this helps to keep them fresh and quite normal.

Using the back (NOT THE BLADE) of a cleaver or a large chef’s knife (a hammer works well also) , tap on the hard shell, to crack open. Do this over your sink so the water inside will pour out without having a mess on your counter. It will take a few hard taps to crack open. With care, use a pairing or butter knife (whatever you feel comfortable using), separate the white flesh from the hard shell. Basically putting the blade between the shell and flesh with a prying motion.

Discard the hard shell part and place the flesh (no need to remove the sort of brown skin on the exterior) on an open flame. I used my grill, but you can use your stove top (it will make a mess) or place on a foil lined tray in a high oven. Let it roast on the open flame, flip often and try to get it a bit charred. Will take a few minutes. It will take much longer if you’re using an oven.

It will go charred.. doh fret! This is exactly what we’re looking for. Allow it to cool a bit so you can safely handle it. Now scrape of any excessively charred bits and give it a good rinse with cool water. It’s now time to grate or you can cut into small pieces and place directly into a blender or food processor. Only after grating did we notice that the texture was not as traditional coconut chutney. So we then placed the grated coconut in a blender, along with the salt, shado beni, scotch bonnet pepper (add more or less according to how spicy you like it) and garlic. Blend!

If using a blender as we did, you’ll need to add a little water to allow it to work. Adding water is not traditional but it didn’t affect the taste at all. You’re looking for a somewhat smooth paste, but with a texture close to grains of sand.

This coconut chutney is meant to be very spicy, but you can control the heat by how much scotch bonnet pepper you add. Do remember that if you’re concerned about raw heat, don’t use any of the seeds of the pepper and do wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling such lethal peppers. Store in the fridge for a few days, but it’s best when used fresh.

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Recipe Card

Description

With mom and dad visiting this past summer I had the help I needed to put together one of the most requested recipes, coconut chutney. A spicy condiment which is an excellent topping for many of the street foods you’d find being sold in Trinidad and Tobago, especially ‘doubles’. Traditionally a mortar and pestle or ‘seal’ (a flat stone with a rounded one for grinding) would be used in making coconut chutney. With this in mind you’ll notice that we did encounter some problems getting the right texture, but we found a good medium in using the box grater along with a food blender.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. Discard the hard shell part of the Coconut (1).
  2. Place the flesh of the coconut on an open flame.
  3. Let the coconut roast on the open flame, flip often and try to get it a bit charred.
  4. Allow it to cool a bit so you can safely handle it. Now scrape of any excessively charred bits and give it a good rinse with cool water.
  5. Grate the coconut or you can cut into small pieces and place directly into a blender or food processor.
  6. Place the grated coconut in a blender, along with the Salt (1 teaspoon), Culantro Leaves (4), Scotch Bonnet Pepper (1), and Garlic (3 clove), then blend.
  7. Store in the fridge for a few days, but it’s best when served fresh.
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Vegetarian

A piquant green mango chutney.

moms-mango-chutneyAs with any trip to Trinidad and Tobago, breakfast means sourcing out the best doubles in Port Of Spain as I usually arrive with a severe craving. I came to learn that the doubles vendors are not only judged on the size, texture and taste of the doubles itself, but what makes a doubles considered the “best” is the chutney and other accompanying hot sauces the vendor provides. Without that “good pepper”, an excellent doubles could easily go unnoticed.

Though I can’t make doubles (only a matter of time before I master that… hold tight) I do love me some mango chutney with my scrambled eggs and as a topping for a juicy t-bone steak! As a matter of fact you can use this spicy sauce as aside for just about everything (as you would normally use hotsauce). Opens up your appetite!

You’ll need…

2 green mangoes peeled. (1 diced and the other grated)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped (or shandow beni)
1 hot pepper (I used a full habanero with the seeds)
1 lime

green-mango-chutney

In a bowl add the salt, hot pepper and garlic, then crush to a fine paste. For best results you can use a mortar and pestle. I usually slice the garlic and pepper to make this step easier.

green-mango-chutney-recipe

mango-chutney-recipe

Traditionally the mango chutney is usually grated, but I like a bit of texture so I grate one of the mangoes and the other I dice as if I were making a salsa. Makes a great combination. Wash and peel the mangoes and in a plate or bowl, begin to grate. Remember that the mango will have a seed, so you’ll have to work around it.

double-mango-chutney

mango-chutney-doubles

With care, dice the remaining mango. Do remember the pit or seed so your knife does not bounce off it and cause injury to you.

mango-chutney

The final step is the combine everything. Don’t forget to add the juice of the lime (or lemon) and the chopped cilantro. Give it a good mix and check to see if more salt is required. ENJOY!

spicy-mango-chutney

Be kind and leave me your comments and thoughts below. I’d love to hear from you.