summer•shorts no:07
This scrumptious mixture of freshly chopped Czar plums (picked from my Mum's garden yesterday), apples, onions, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar and spices is now simmering gently on the hob. It's gradually turning a rich shade of deep 'Suffolk pink' and filling the house with a sweet-sour warm spiciness.
Listening to TMS would have been the perfect accompaniment to my labours – but rain has stopped play and the BBC has (wisely in my opinion) decided that a whole day of Geoffrey Boycott's reminiscences would be just too much for the listener at home to take and have switched off coverage for the day.
There has been just a little drizzle here this afternoon, in fact it's dry now and pleasantly warm – I could sit outside (within sight of the cauldron, of course) and attempt to complete the big crossword at the back of the Saturday paper :-)
Have a good weekend
Celia
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* thank you to mangocheeks for the grammatical gender correction
Aha, Suffolk PInk, the colour of my house and an excellent colour for a chutney. Such lovely simple pleasures in this post.
ReplyDeleteNow talking of simple pleasures do you fancy a little evening crochet soon?
OOhh! that looks wonderful! I adore making pickles and chutneys. Is Suffolk pink a real colour? Sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHi Silverpebble - it kept me happy for a few hours :-) Crochet sounds good!
ReplyDeleteHi Matron - Suffolk pink is indeed a real colour although it can vary from a pale buff/pink through to a deep warm almost terracotta red. It's the colour of the plaster-work on Suffolk thatched cottages and was originally lime wash mixed with animal blood. Now it's open to interpretation - not always in a good way!
Nine jars of a fine plum chutney have now been bottled.Ready to use in a couple of months :-)
Celia
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I can smell that chutney from here - delicious!
ReplyDeleteOh yes Suffolk pink - a true sign you are in the Suffolk countryside. It has been fairly balmy this afternoon with enough drizzle to keep the garden happy enough.
Have a great weekend.
Ah chutney time!Steam on the windows,the rich smell of vinegar boling off and permeating the house, those shiny jars with their little hats maturing in the pantry, the promise of a good cheddar and chutney doorstep to come in cold months.Beautiful,simple pleasures of life are the best.
ReplyDeleteI used to make Czar Plum Wine, jolly nice it was too. Your recipe for chutney sounds similar to the Old Dower House recipe I have, except for the addition of a bottle of stem ginger (finely minced) and it's syrup. So grateful for our questionable colonial past and it's side benefit, the now so-English chutney, have promised to teach a French friend how to put together a chutney and a quick tutorial on the ease of scone making. Strange to think of the (admittedly occasional) French smitten with English food. My lot hate the smell of the vinegar simmering slowly on the Aga, they have been complaining for three days now as I brew and bottle by way through the glut. They like eating it though! Many regards F
ReplyDeleteHello from New York, where I have been searching my dim memories to locate when it was that I last tasted real chutney.
ReplyDeleteI have certainly never made it myself, not many gardens available around here. Even worse to think that I see your beautiful picture and read those wonderful ingredients, and then ... wonder, just what will that splendid mixture taste like.
Surely, the answer is ... delicious. xo
What a great post - I love the smell of vinegar boiling and your chutney looks wonderful! It's a shame about the cricket, but I feel the same about 'Aggers' (who seems obsessed with that masseuse)as you do about Geoffrey!!
ReplyDeleteI love making chutney. One of my favourites includes the juice from boiled crab apples (as though you were going to proceed to make jelly) mixed with damsons from our own tree. I have to choose a day when Himself is out of the house though, as he hates the smell of boiling vinegar and also doesn't even like chutney. Strange man! He has other qualities though!
ReplyDeleteThat looks scrummy, can't wait for our plums to ripen!
ReplyDeleteDelicious!
ReplyDeletemmm looks delicious and M. will be v. interested to read this post, being the Chief Preserver and Pickle Maker in our household (I just like eating them)
ReplyDeleteHi Cottage Garden - it smelled good, didn't it ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi eag - preserving lovely home-grown things to cheer a cold winter evening is very very satisfying.
Hi Woodland Fay - sounds like you've been very very busy - English plums are the best, we should celebrate them!
Hi Frances - I'm sure you must be able to track down a good chutney in Manhatten! This one is fruity and sweet and sharp and spicy and will be perfect with a slice of smoked ham.
Hi Chrissie - what was the matter with Aggers? That masseuse had got him all of a lather :-)
Hi Veg Heaven - your husband doesn't like chutney :-O
Hi Cottage Smallholder - all that chopping and peeling, but worth it!
Hi Anna and Jacqui - I'm sure this batch will be utterly scrummy!
Celia
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No your not. You are the Chutney-walli. 'Wallah' refers the male. 'Walli' refers to the female.
ReplyDeleteYou are the chutney walli and an excellent one too.
Welcome to PPPs Mangocheeks - I stand corrected and I'm very pleased that you've told me the correct term. I'll add a footnote. Just had a quick peek at your blog, and will have to pop over again to check out all the lovely stuff you're growing and cooking.
ReplyDeleteCelia
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