Cottage Smallholder Plum Chutney or Damson Chutney
Comments(166)This chutney recipe works well with plums, wild plums or damsons. It does not need months to mature and keeps well
I had some spare time today so finally retrieved the stock pot from Danny, swooshed it out with bicarbonate of soda to get rid of the taint of clove chutney (see Tricks and Tips below) and found the plum chutney recipe from Anne Mary’s old cook book. This was going to be the base of our own Cottage Smallholder Chutney.
I had collected three pounds of windfall wild plums yesterday and simmered them last night for 20 minutes in 75 ml of white wine vinegar. This is Delia’s canny trick to avoid stoning fresh plums for chutney (use some of the vinegar that you are going to use for your brew). This morning, grabbing a handful at a time, it was easy to find the stones and remove them (our wild plum stones are tiny, barely a centimetre long).
At breakfast we studied Anne Mary’s recipe and decided how we would change it to create a plum chutney that we would be proud of. Danny had to go to London so pinpointed his essential ingredients for our chutney – balsamic vinegar and juniper berries. As I was the one who ruined the last “Let’s make our own” batch with too many cloves, I decided that our chutney was definitely going to work this time.
There was a clove shaped crisis of confidence. And consequently the alterations that I made today were incrementally smalll. This meant hours of tasting, comparisons and retasting, until I felt quite queasy from ingesting so much chutney. (At least a jar without lunch). It has now simmered (tiny bubbles barely breaking the surface) for five hours. When you draw a wooden spoon through the chutney, it is thick enough to see where you have been. It is finally done, and approved for release. We have made a great plum chutney, extra fruity and piquant.
Danny returned exhausted from London and sniffed the aroma as he walked into the kitchen. There was a long silence as he grabbed a spoon and rushed to the stock pot for a taste. His response was positive. Our recipe is below.
Cottage Smallholder Plum Chutney Recipe:
- 3lbs/1350g wild plums/damsons/eating plums
- 1lb/450g of apples (cored but not skinned). Chopped fine. Cooking apples are best but eating apples would do at a pinch.
- 1 lb/450g onions chopped fine
- 10.5 ozs/300g dried apricots (chopped at least into eight)
- 7 ozs/200g dried raisins (chopped into four)
- Half lb-1lb/225g-450g of soft brown sugar, depending on how sweet your wild plums/damsons/eating plums are. We’d usehalf a lb of sugar for eating plums but used 1lb for this batch as we were using wild plums (these are very tart like damsons).
- 2 large cloves of garlic chopped fine
- Half tsp of cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of allspice powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1and a half pints/750 ml of white wine vinegar
- 1 small hot chilli
- 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
- 5 juniper berries
- 10 black peppercorns
,
Method:
- Stone the plums and if big enough cut into slices.
- Chop the apples, onions, raisins and apricots.
- Place all ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and bring slowly to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down immediately and simmer very gently (tiny bubbles just breaking the surface on the lowest heat) for at least five hours until the mixture has broken down and thickens.
- Stir from time to time and more towards the end. If your simmering point is higher than ours, your chutney will be ready sooner. Take a peek every half hour or so. The chutney will thicken as it cools.
- When ready pour into sterilised jars and cover with plastic lined metal lids (how do I sterilise jars and lids? See Tips and Tricks below).
Our latest Plum and Tamarind Chutney recipe is here.
Tricks and Tips:
- How do I get rid of tainted smells in pots?
If your cooking pot or container is tainted with the smell of the last resident (curry, tomato sauce etc). Sprinkle with a good tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda into it and add a good splosh of hot water. Rub the solution over all surfaces and leave for two minutes. Rinse well in cold water.
- How do I sterilise jars and lids?
The sterilising method that we use is simple. Just before making the jam, I quickly wash and rinse the jars and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160c/140c for fan assisted. When the oven has reached the right temperature I turn off the heat. The jars will stay warm for quite a while. I only use plastic lined lids for preserves as the all-metal lids can go rusty. I boil these for five minutes in water to sterilise them. If I use Le Parfait jars, I do the same with the rubber rings.
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i’ve used more or less the same ingredients as these to make a chinese style plum sauce with bullaces, or ‘cherry plums’ as they’re sometimes called. this year they’ve been very plentiful around this neck of suffolk. i substituted five spice for the other spices and included half a teaspoon or so of ground cloves to the pan of plum puree. it’s come out well and is lovely when spread on grilled pork chops just as they’re finishing under the grill.
a couple of recommended preserving books…i use them for ’specials’ or unusual preserves.
‘Preserving’ by Oded Schwartz
(predictable title, unpredictable author’s name!)
‘Sensational Preserves’ by Hilaire Walden.
both are beautifully illustrated and interesting enough just to sit and read and are not just about ‘putting things in jars’. good for being a bit more adventurous with a wider variety of unusual ingredients than found in most books. worth a look in my opinion. they both include interesting recipes for using the finished products.
Thanks Steve, I’ll check these books out. Quite a few modern preserving books are a bit disappointing.
What a great recipe with usefultips and tricks. I am looking forward to trying the chutney that you have sent me and then making some with my own plums. Thank you.
Sara from farmingfriends
[...] The plum chutney made by The Cottage Smallholder was sent as a thank you gift in return for the 6 guinea fowl eggs I sent for Mrs Boss the broody hen to sit on in our interblog guinea fowl egg project. [...]
[...] The fruit are versatile and delicious. Like the colour, taste and texture vary between trees, but most of the fruit are excellent eaten raw. They can be substituted for plums in jams, chutneys (try the Cottage Smallholder’s recipe for plum chutney) and other recipes, or pressed for their sweet juice. [...]
A great recipe! The fruit in your basket look like cherry plums to me. They’re one of my favourite fruits for foraging – http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/tag/cherryplum
Hi Nick,
I think that you are right these are cherry plums. I call them wild plums as the grow wild!
We have masses growing in the hedgerows around here. I can easily pick 5 kilos in an hour.
do i need to boil the plums first to stone them as you did in the lead story or just cut them out? cheers
Hi Caroline,
You can do either. It is easier to simmer the plums to get the stones out as this will detach themselves from the flesh. You can also cut them out, it’s just more of a palaver.
hi, this is my first time making plum chutney, your recipe doesn’t include any water or vinegar, should i pre cook the plums in white wine vinegar like you spoke about at beginning of the recipe?, thanks, Maire
Hi Marie
Yes the recipe does include 750ml of white wine vinegar, five up from the bottom on the list of ingredients!
So sorry about that, I looked at it so many times but didn’t see it. The pot is now boiling nicely on the stove and it smells delicious, should it be sweet when finished. I only added 1/2 lb sugar but I’m sure that I can add more if its too bitter, thanks again, Maire
Hi,
I have the pot on the stove right NOW with this recipe religiously followed. Many thanks, it looks a corker.
Tell me please, when I’ve brought the mixture to the boil, do I simmer covered or uncovered?
Thanks in advance,
Gareth
Hi Gareth,
Simmer the pot uncovered and very, very gently. Hope it turns out well!
Gotcha. Will do, thanks for the instant response.
SWMBO (She who must be obeyed) doesn’t like anything unexpected in her food, so I’ve put the spices and cracked plum stones in an old stocking to allow for easy removal. That’s my only adaptation. Am I right?
I’ll be back with an update.
G.
Good adaptation, no frights or broken teeth!
Sorry, another question.
You say: ‘The chutney will thicken as it cools’ and ‘When ready pour into sterilised jars’
So, do I allow the chutney to cool before bottling or do I bottle warm as I understand you do with jams?
Hi Gareth,
Put the chutney into warm sterilised jars when it is ready and still hot. Don’t allow it to cool. Remember to use screw topped lids as the vinegar will evaporate thhrough jam pot covers.
Well the chutney has finished cooking and it tastes and smells good. i put in double the amount of balsamic vinegar ( by mistake) and it tasted too strong and balsamic-icky so I added a pot of plum jam that I made yesterday that was too runny and it tastes very good now. How long must it be stored before its eaten. Thanks for the recipe, Maire
Hi Marie,
I’d leave it for a month before using it just to let the flavours develop a bit longer. It keeps well and gradually improves with age.
Just about to make your chutney since I have made loads of damson jam. I sterilise my jars in the microwave. I put in about 8 jars on high for 4-5 mins which gives good hot jars and a good seal when lids are put on immediately.
Another tip that my mum taught me over 40 years ago is to put a knob of butter into jam at the fast boil stage. This reduces the amount of scum that you have to skim off- in some cases there will be none at all.
Hi Vivienne,
Sterilising jars in the microwave is a great tip and also the knob of butter at the fast boil stage for jam. Thanks for sharing.
I said I’d be back with an update so here I am.
The chutney is a hit!!! It’s being eaten now, no waiting a month chez nous, and everyone is highly complimentary.
This was a first for me, I’ve never done any preserving before. I’m really surprised at how easy it is to produce a terrific result. Thanks for your recipe and guidance.
G.
I am so pleased that you like the plum chutney, Gareth.
Thank you for taking the time to report back. Much appreciated!
I’ve just found your damson chutney recipe which looks delicious.
I have an aga and use my bottom, or simmering, oven for gentle or long, slow cooking. The damsons, plus a little vinegar are in there at the moment, hopefully de-stoning themselves. I’m planning to use the simmering oven for the five hour simmer. I was going to leave the lid on the pot, but see you’ve advised otherwise (above). Would it be helpful to know how an aga version works out?
I also use the simmering oven to sterilize jars. I pop them in (upside-down in a roasting tin after I’ve washed them) for an hour or so. And use them warm when ready to pot.
My local honey suppliers supply boxes of jars with plastic screw tops (I also put these in the oven, they haven’t yet melted and I’ve been using them for quite a few years!), perfect for chutney, or any preserves.
Lovely site…though haven’t had time to look at it all yet
Something strange seems to have happened to some of my words in the comment I’ve just submitted…
No problem with the words now…must have ironed out in the ether
Hi Paula,
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment.
It would be really helpful to hear how your chutney, cooked in the Aga, turned out. We don’t have an Aga and are looking forward to the day when we do.
Thanks for the tip on sterilising jars in the Aga too. Interesting that the tops don’t melt!
Beekeepers are a good source of jars. We keep bees and often the honey jars are purloined by me!
So pleased that eventually the software settled down and we could read your comment!
It worked out brilliantly!
I did a kind of ‘everything’ method in the end as I had to go and shear some lambs and couldn’t wait for the five hour bit.
Having de-stoned the damson as above, I popped all the ingredients into the pot and brought it to the boil on the hot plate.
I then placed it in the simmering oven for aprox. 3 hours, with the lid on.
Took it out and for the last 1/2 hour I place the pan on the simmering hot plate, with the lid off, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid had evaporated and the chutney was thick and glossy.
Potted as normal.
Can’t wait to taste!
Hi Paula,
Thanks for sharing the Aga method of making our plum chutney, this will be really useful for Aga users everywhere.
So pleased that it turned out well.
My first batch of this delicious chutney has now been distributed at home and abroad to unanimous approval, the second batch goes on today. I wonder about embellishing with a star anise?
On alternative cooking methods……
I posted on another site mooting the possibility of doing chutney in the slow cooker, as that would seem ideal for long simmer at low temperature. We’ve got one of those big ones that holds about half a sheep so I believe it would be ideal.
Anyone tried it?
G.
Hi Gareth,
Why not try adding some star anise. If you do I’d love to hear how it turns out.
The slow cooker seems like a great idea. I haven’t tried cooking chutney in one but it sounds like the perfect alternative to stove top simmering.
Just wondering if it would worl by replacing the raisins with half currents and half sultanans, as I wne t and bought them today thinking thats what was in the recipe ?
Thanks in advance.
I did some plum chutney last year using up some currants that were discovered in the cupboard-it was ok, but I thought the currants made it a bit less like chutney and more like a strange jam!Has anyone heard of plum gumbo- it is a preserve made mainly from plums with sliced oranges in it, it is wonderful in winter in pies and crumbles, I’ll dig the recipe out if anyone is interested- it seems to be a good year for plums.
Hi James,
I wouldn’t use the currants. The sultans may work. Nice fat raisins work so well that it might be worth waiting and getting some for the chutney. You could start it off, the plum removal stage, if the plums are really ripe.
Hi Kate,
Interesting to hear that the currants didn’t really work.
Plum gumbo sounds intriguing. Would you like to do a guest spot? All recipes are original on this site but I am sure that you gave the gumbo your own special twist. If you’d like to do the spot email me through the contact us page.
I will try the above chutney recipe, but also I would be very interested to have a recipe for damson gumbo.
Hi Maurice,
Great to hear that you will try our plum chutney.
The plum gumbo is in the pipe line.
[...] At the weekend I made damson chutney following the excellent recipe from Fiona @ The Cottage Smallholder. [...]
Hi Sara,
I’m really pleased that you tried this recipe. I bet that it tastes great with damsons. I’ve only made it with tart, wild plums.
Hi Fiona,
I made your damson chutney at the weekend and it smelt and looked delicious. How long would you recommend leaving it before it can be used, as sometimes chutney needs to mature?
Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe. Sara from farmingfriends
Hi Sara,
I tried to make a chutney that wouldn’t need months to mature. We started to eat ours immediately but it probably needs a month for the flavours to really develop.
I’ll be making ours again in a few weeks time (I froze some wild plums). It will be interesting to compare fresh with the year old vintage.
I grow plums as well as other stone fruit at our country farm in the hunter valley andhave been making plum jam and plum chutney as well as apricot and peach chutney for ten years. I liked you plum chutney recipe and will try it out tomorrow morning. I’ll let you know how it went.
Hi Ingrid
I’d love to hear how you get on!
Hi I made the plum chutney in August and it was so good, we have just finished it this month. i had some plums in the freezer 6lbs and my dad has begged me to make some more so I’ve a pot on at the moment. Hope the frozen plums work as well as the fresh ones. It does seem a little waterier at this stage though, here’s hoping it goes well
Hi Marie
I like our chutney too. I think that it’s all down to just including fruit in the mix.
Hope that the frozen plums worked out for you. I’d love to hear how you got on!
Best sounding recipe I have found. Here in Spain I have a Nispero tree. A yellow/orange colour fruit with a plum texture and tough skin that is easy to peel off.If you were to eat them as a fruit then the skin would always be taken off. The fruit has anywhere between 3 and 6 stones. Flavour is a bit sharp.
The fruit is hardly ever seen far from where it is grown because it does not travel well. Heavy rain can bruise it even.
I am so tired of seeing so much fruit wasted that this year (during the next 2 – 3 weeks) I am having a go at this tempting recipe. I will let you know.
Hi Clive
Thanks for dropping by. I’d love to hear how the chutney turns out with the fruit of the nispero tree. I have never heard of this fruit. The sharp flavour would make it ideal for this recipe.
Hello from sunny Spain where my nisperos tree is flourishing. I’m just about to start on my 4th batch of chutney. I made the first batch with a recipe made up as I went along but it was so popular that it’s been repeated. It’s very simple with nisperos being the main ingredient and includes red onion, celery, garlic, apple, juice from my own lemon trees and the zest from my own oranges. Adding both brown and white sugar together with a good dollop of virgin olive oil & seasoning – it’s tangy yet has a sweet background flavour. Delicious. Unlike Clive I eat the nisperos fruit with skin on.
Hello Jules
We have blossom on our plum trees and will get fruit August/September so I’m very envious of you!
Thanks for your chutney recipe – sounds delicious. It’s fun making up chutney recipes isn’t it.
One day I will taste nisperos fruit!
It worked so well with nisperos. Couple of changes necessary for the second batch though. Halved the amount of cinnamon and used a big lump of grated fresh ginger. We have had friends asking for another jar but they only get it if they are special friends!
So, now you know. If you have friends in Spain just get them to make a huge pan load and ask them to bring you some.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Clive
Great to have your feedback. It would be lovely with fresh ginger!
When I designed this recipe I tried to use spices that most people would have on their spice shelf so as to cut the cost a bit but you can’t beat fresh ingredients.
Your recipe looks lovely. Our plum trees have failed miserably this year following a bumper crop last year. Can I make this with Greengages as I have now bought all the ingredients but have no plums? My friend has bucket loads on her tree and it would be lovely to use some.
Hi Samantha
Our plum harvet is bad this year too.
I reckon that you could make this with greengages. You’d need less sugar. Add it incrementally to taste. The vinegar is the preservaing agent in this recipe.
Many thanks, I have now made it and it looks lovely. I used our aga (bottom oven mostly) and it was the apple pieces that took the longest to soften down. I used our cooking apples as you didn’t specify whether cooking or eating apples should be used. Samantha.
Hi Samantha
I’m sorry not to have specified which apples to use. I use our cookers as they have more flavour. Ordinary eating aplles would work too – a softer flavour all round. Have updated the recipe.
Hi,
I’m very excited to find this recipe as I found my first wild plum tree yesterday and am keep to give this chutney a try.
Does anyone else have problems with little wriggly friends in the middle of the plums? What do you do? Just boil them up and hope no-one notices? : )
Hi Everyone
I have just discovered this websire while searching for ideas for plums ! I am a real novice having just moved to a house with a huge plum tree ….will definately give the chutney recipe a go but are juniper berries vital ? or what could i replace them with ?
Also any tips for freezing plums a few of you have mentioned that you do
Thanks very much
Jen
YOUR ADVICE IS SHOCKINGLY WRONG!!!!!!!!
How dare you suggest leaving the plum chutney for a month to mature. My Doctor could have put me on a no chutney diet, I could have died without ever tasting it. Just made 3 delicious lbs.
Whole family love
Awrabest
Thanks Ian Fernbank, Wester Ross
thank you for this grreat recipe, I am about to go out and buy the ingredients, sorry to see the comments seemed to stop just when we reached a crucial question, are juniper berries essential or not?
cheers
ann
Hi Ann
No they are not essential but they do add to the depth of flavour
it was wonderful to get your receipe an use the dawson plums i live in victoria australia. thank you so much the receipe is great.
I made my first batch ever of relish/chutney, substituted capsicum for a short measure of apricots and used middle amount of sugar. Researched lots of recipes, this one was the most informative. Gave it out immediately and have now had feedback from friends that ‘the relish’ is fantastic. I think it is too but will up the sugar in the next batch and have now found some juniper berries. Hvae kept half a dozen bottles to see what they are like in a month or so.
Have just found a tree with Angelina plums ( small as Bendigo has been v hot and dry) Am now looking for an Ang plum recipe
Great recipe this. What I like about it is that you bung everything in and just simmer it, no messing about. We use windfall or wasp eaten Victoria plums and any windfall apples, cookers probably are better but I doubt essential. We’ve been making it for several years and it keeps very well, if you can avoid eating it long enough that is.
We keep old jars, clean them thoroughly, and when its time to bottle the pickle, put jars and lids in a steamer for about ten minutes. Decant the pickle into the jars whilst both are still hot and screw the lid on. As they cool a vacuum is produced and the lid seals well. This is how its done in industry but in large ’steam sealing machines’. If you have a click top lid, the lid should pop in as it cools.
Hi David
Thanks very much for your tips. Much appreciated.
We a;lways use old jars and lids too!
Hi,
Am just about to make this recipe but don’t know how many jars I am going to need for your quantities!
Hi Kirsty
I’m sorry but I have no idea. I’ll make a note when I make it this year!
Unfortunately my local Asda have stopped doing free yeast – don’t know if they have just been inundated with requests or if it’s a general new policy – either way it’s mega disappointing! They didn’t even offer to sell it when I asked where I could get it so it’s down to dried yeast now I suppose unless bakers still sell it?
Hi KarenO
Might be worth ringing your local Tesco. Ours gives yeast away.
Answer to Kirsty,
I don’t wish to state the obvious but how many jars you need will depend on how big they are!!
Also, (and here I might be asking the obvious) but what has yeast to do with this chutney?
Oops – I haven’t been on the slow gin! I was reading the comment by Lincsgirl on Delicate and piquant red cabbage recipe and replied to that. I had difficulty with the CAPTCHA code so copied my comment and went on the back arrow but but when I pasted I must have come into the wrong post! But thank you anyway fiona for your Tesco suggestion (and for not asking which planet I was on)
Hi David
I think that you’re mistaken – the recipe is in weight of plums rather than size. I’ve used great big fat dessert plums for this and small wild plums on other occasions. Both work fine using the same weight of plums although I allow less sugar (to taste) for the dessert plums.
Hi KarenO
Sorry about the CAPTCHA hurdle – still just too much spam.
It’s fine to comment on any post about anything
Good morning all,
I meant how big the jars are, not the plums, but perhaps I shoudn’t have introduced levity into so serious a subject!
Hi Fiona and others, Midwinter in not so sunny Bendigo Australia, cold nights and cold days at present. However in anticipation of summer have bought lots of fruit trees, too many I suspect, am wondering if it’s ok to bunch them together rather than space apart. Have Quince, Persimmon, Apricot, Nectarine and Nashi Pear still to put in. I spaced all the others. Bought the house a year ago with an overabundance of plum trees, have got rid of some. All the relish and jams I made last summer from your recipes have lasted well (nearly finished now)and am about to cook up some more from frozen fruit.
Hello David
Oh I see! Everyone could do with a bit of levity
Hello Ann
I wouldn’t bunch your trees together. Give them as much space as possible so that they will thrive. Don’t plant them directly in grass. Cut a circular border for each one so that you can easily feed and water them and they will not be competing with the grass for nutrients,
Great that you liked the recipes.
I have never made chutney before…….watch this space.
x
Hello everyone – have just been given a huge bag of yellow mirabelles. Does anyone have the faintest idea what to do with them?! Have already made a batch of plum chutney and would quite like to make either a chutney which would keep their colour (turmeric?) or a liqueur. Any thoughts or recipes would be appreciated!
Aha, of all the plum trees in my garden (been in my house nearly a year) one small tree had late maturing, small yellow plums, dense flesh a bit tart, totally ignored by birds. Emily’s post triggered me to look up Mirabelles and I think that is what my ‘late’ plum is. Anyway I have a bag in the freezer so will be interested to see if you have any good ideas. Have ‘discovered’ quinces this year and just cooked up a super batch with lots of citrus peel, juice wine and star anise.
I made 6 jars.
I actually used yellow plums……hopefully it will be ok. I’ll find out in 6 weeks!
Onion chutney today!
Hi Everyone
I would like to use my slow cooker to make the plum chutney.
Could anyone tell me how long to cook the chutney and whether I’d have to change the method.
cheers muchly!
Hi Rebecca
Yellow plums should be fine, I reckon. Thanks for giving the ammount the the recipe makes.
Hi Emily
You could make a great Mirabelle vodka. The ingredients should be similar to raspberry vodka http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=362
Hi Ann
They are great stuffed inside a roast duck or a really succulent chicken.
The quince recipe sounds delicious.
Hello Cerys
I haven’t tried this recipe in the slow cooker. Why not Google slow cooker chutney recipes to get an idea of timings.
i’ve got thirteen boxes of plums and another treeful in my garden. this recipe sounds fabulous. do i need to process the jars in a water bath like jam, or just seal them up?
Hi Anna
This recipe is really good.
You need to sterilise the jars and lids and pou the chutney into the warm jars and seal immediately.
Awesome. Thanks.
After I seal the jars, do I need to process them in a hot water bath or are they ok without it?
Thanks again!
Hi Anna
There no need to process the jars in a water bath after sealing as they will create their own vacuum as they cool down (just like jam).
Thanks again. I can’t wait to make this chutney this coming weekend.
My grandma taught me to always use a hot water bath on jams or chutneys but my housemate’s mom never uses one. As long as I heat the jars and make sure they’re sealed properly (center button down) when they’re cooled, can I skip the hot water bath for other chutneys and jams, too? Or does it depend on the recipe?
Thanks again for your help. I appreciate it!
Hi Anna
I’m no expert butI never use a water bath for jams or chutneys. The centre button down is a godsend as it indicates a proper seal.
Thanks again.
Hi, we have a yellow plum tree full of plums so can’t wait to try this recipe. I have never made chutney but enjoy eatting chutney so want to give it a go next wkend once I have all the equipment. Is it correct that all that ingredients just makes approx 6 jars? I may try it in the slow cooker, has anyone any tips on this? I did think of doing it in my big Le Creuset but things often stick to bottom. One final question, do I use fresh or dry juniper berries? Thanks
Hi, I’ve never made chutney before but with a yellow plum tree fully loaded in the garden I think I’ll give it a go next wkend when I have gathered all the equipment ingredients. Am I right in reading the other comments that all this ingredients only makes 6 jars (approx)? Any feedback from anyone whose tried it in a slow cooker? Also do the juniper berries need to be fresh or dried? I can’t wait to have a go. The plum tree had no fruit last year and we only moved in the Autum before, so its our first harvest!
Returned from holiday to find the lawn blue with windfall damsons – so I made a batch immediately, while unpacking with the other hand…
It filled 5 large ex-’Bonne Maman’ Compote jars (600g size) plus a good-sized dollop which we have put in the fridge to try out tomorrow for lunch. The last scrapings in the pan were setting even as we cleaned them out – and already tasted delicious.
We used dried juniper berries. I crushed them and put them, together with the peppercorns (also lightly crushed) in a wire spice net which I use to cook with large whole spices (it makes sure you remove them all at the end of cooking). We used the hob/cool oven and it took about 4 hours.
The jars are still (just) warm, and I’m hoping the centre buttons pop down soon – they’re still up at the moment.
Last week made chutney with greengages and fallen apples from the garden. It tastes good, but I will try not to let the family eat it all too soon. Next batch will be with damson when they ripen, and also some wild plums which aren’t very tasty but hopefully will go with it.
Great recipe!!
Hello Lou
It makes roughly six jars (depending on the size of jars). We use dried juniper berries. I haven’t tried it in the slow cooker but I think that is should work well but the slow cooker needs to be without a lid for the mixture to evaporate and thicken.
Hello Katyvic
Thanks for your feedback. Lucky you having your own damson tree!
Hello Julie
Greengage and apple chutney sounds delicious. We use wild plums to make this chutney they work very well.
Can i stew,remove the stones then feeze the plums to use later..I have a bad back among other things and can only manage about 5lbs of fruit at a time and am frightened of them rotting, even though I will do a batch every day until used. We are lucky enough to have found an old estate that has been made smaller and the excess land where apple trees and golden and victoria plums and blackberries grow in abundance has been left to grow wild but no one goes into it as it is weed and bramble blocked…my husband who is a young 72 has made a crafty entrance so for the last two years it has been our lovely secret, but i will pass it it on when it gets too much for me…but i do share it’s produce out bottled or not…
Hello
our freezer is filling up nicely with damsons (or are they wild plums? not sure) from our garden and I’m really excited about these great recipes. Should I thaw the frozen damsons before making jam / cheese / chutney or can you use them frozen. Advice much appreciated – I love the site!
thanks
Catrin
stupid question: do you crush the juniper berries and the black peppercorns?
Hello Maureen
Yed you can stew the plums and freeze them for later. I quite often do this with the fruit for fruit cheese.
Lucky you with your own secret garden!
Hi Cartrin
I’d thaw them first. Great that you are enjoying the site.
Hi Cathy
I put them in whole as I like to see whole spices in chutney. You can also use a twist of muslin as a spice bag or crush the spices. It’s entirely up to you.
Hiya, what an amazing blog entry! I am going to try your recipe today. Never made a chutney before, but whilst walking the other day stumbled across a plum tree (not sure what kind) so six year old son stood on my shoulders and dropped plums down to three year old who collected them up. Think I will have to call it ‘adventurers plum chutney’! Thank you!
When it comes to chutney making, my favourite kitchen gear is…. the slow cooker! Mine is the Morphy-Richards 5-pint casserole with a hot-plate, and makes the most wonderful winter casseroles, oxtail stews and the like. Come mid-August, when the cherry plums (mirabelles) are ripe for just a very few days, my trusty slow-cooker comes into its own again as the best overnight simmer for chutney. You can retire to bed happy in the knowledge that when you will come down again the following morning your kitchen will be filled with the fragrance of perfectly simmered chutney, ready for bottling up.
Well, we did it and it smells great! Used a bit of fresh Ginger as I love it. Was going to substitute some raisins for dates but got a bit scared and didn’t in the end. Is there a kind of master ratio for fresh fruit / apples & onions / dried fruit / vinegAr ? (or is it very easy to get it wrong?)
Hi is the weight for the plums before or after they have been stoned?
By the way love your website, I have never made chutneys or jam before but having moved into a house that already has mature apple and damson trees, I am learning fast how to make use of these lovely free fruits.
Tried your apple chutney and that was a great success. Thanks
Hi Rubyr
This is a great chutney and so easy to make. I could do with your children when I’m out foraging!
Hello Jane
I must try using the slow cooker next time. As you say it produces wonderful winter stews and casseroles.
Hi Ruby
I don’t know if there’s a master ratio of ingredients for chutney. Fresh ginger would work well. I just used store cupboard spices for this recipe so most people could make it easily.
Hi Claire
Weight of plums is before they’ve been stoned.
Great that you are enjoying the site.
Hi I have so many damsons that I think I will double the ingredients, do you think this work out ok or will it become too vinegary?
Thanks for previous reply
Claire
Claire if you double the weight of the damsons then double everything else in the recipe to match it should be fine- you can always add more sugar towards the end of cooking if it seems too sour- but worth remembering that chutney takes time to mature and is always vinegary at first, after it has been left for a month or so the spice and sweetness comes out and it is ready to use.If it is too sharp even after a couple of months it can be re-heated and some more sugar added, then re-bottled in clean jars.Chutney is very amenable!
Thank you so much for your reply that has really helped alot. I will still have a bucket full of damsons after this batch of chutney so I am hoping to try a Damson Jam recipe, do you have one at all? Many thanks again for your time.
Hi Claire
There is a good jam recipe here that works well for damsons http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=38
Hello Kate (UK)
Thanks for the advice. I didn’t know that you can tweak chutney months down the line.
Best to get it delicious first time, but, like jam, it seems not to mind being re-cooked and re-potted if it is not right!
Hi thanks again for advice and recipe, I will definately try it.
I wonder if anyone can help me I have just made the damson chutney today, I did double the ingredients and it seemed to take forever to “set”. I cooked it for about 7 hours and in the end had to bottle it as it was because we needed to go out. I did sterilise the jars and put the chutney in hot, however now that it has cooled the push buttons on top of the jars are clicking up and down. Do you think that the jars have not produced a vaccum and also what to do think I can do to help the chutney thicken?
I am worried all the hours of effort will go to waste and the chutney will be spoiled.
Any advice much appreciated.
Thanks Claire
Claire- don’t worry, you can take it out and give it another slow cook-up ( without a lid), perhaps your damsons were very ripe and juicy? I always have problems with red tomato chutney for that very reason.Adding some dried raisins or dried apple slices to the mix when you re-heat it may help as they will soak up some of the moisture, and add to the sweet fruitiness of the chutney.
Thank you for the advice. I have the chutney back on the hob as we speak. It already looks alot thicker. Thank you again.
Claire
Hi,
I’m new to preserving but have recently made my first jams and was delighted to find trees full of plums whilst out for a walk. I quite fancy making chutney with them but they are little yellow ones, a bit bigger than a cherry. Will they work for this recipe? Also does it matter if you use malt vinegar? I’m trying to work out if there is a specific ratio of fruit to sugar to vinegar? And do you need more than one fruit in a chutney? I am very new to chutney but recently tried a friend’s damson chutney and was bowled over by it!
Thanks
if you get the chance try making damson and apple jam…it is stunning…probably would work just as well with other plums
Hi Jodie
I use red and yellow plums for chutney. If they are very sharp I add a little more sugar to taste.
Malt vinegar would work in the recipe but produce a much rougher tasting brew that would probably need to mature for six months. Cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are worth using as they are not nearly so rough. If you add dried fruit to a chutney it increases the balance of flavours. There is no magic ratio of fruit/sugar/vinegar as all fruit has different amounts of sugar depending on their ripeness.
Hi Alison
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve got plums and apples. Wey hey!
Can you confirm to me whether it is wax side up or down when using wax discs and cellophane covers, as I’ve read conflicting advice! I’ve just made plum jam by the way with yellow plums from a mystery tree at the bottom of my garden. It is golden and glorious!
Hello Katieskitchen
It’s wax side down, I think. But don’t use them for chutney, these need plastic lined lids.
Hi Fiona,
I love your blog; I’ve been reading from both ends and hoping to meet in the middle eventually! Every recipe I’ve tried has been a success!
I made some plum chutney using your recipe last week and it is delicious. I used wax discs though – and lids. I’m not sure which side faced down and now I see you recommend not using them at all! Why are they not a good idea?
Have just made this chutney (well, kind of!) I didnt put in all the spices as I wanted to see what made a chutney! I used star anise, juniperberries, peppercorns, cloves, ginger and mustard powder – almost a chinese 5spice mix! I wasn’t sure how much sugar to put in as the plums were sweet when eating but tart when stewed. It smells and tastes very vinegary but i’m hoping that after a month it won’t have quite such a kick! I kind of guessed at the quantities because I had just over 4lb of plums. I’m happy with the taste but there is a strong vinegar kick!
Anyone have any suggestions for how to get the chutney in the jars without making an awful mess? I must have lost half a jar while ladling it in!
Just meant to say – I’ve got an old recipe book which says you need to use wax lids as otherwise the vinegar erodes the metal?
Jodie- there’s a thing called a Jam Funnel that sits in the neck of the jar- a funnel with a wide short spout at the base.They are brilliant, makes filling jars easy,no-waste and clean. Good cookshops/ironmongers should have them,online lakeland.co.uk do them- and everything else you might need for home preserving.The wax lids they mean are the little tissue paper waxed disks that you put wax side down on top of the chutney/jam.
Really love this site! We have an allotment with a glut of plums at the momment!! Have made chutney but going to try the one above. Do you chop the chilli, with seeds or without?
Hi Judith
The chilli is chopped with seeds.
BTW or latest recipe for plum chutney is divine, I’m making a second batch after only a week
http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=3458
using apples instead of grapes.
We tried this recipe for the first time in mid August then again two weeks later as we enjoyed the full on flavour. It really is that good!
We are knee deep in wild plums this year having already used them to make jams, BBQ marinade and wine.
I’m just making some plum sauce and am not sure how to strain the ingredients as I don’t have a non metalic sieve. Any ideas?
Hi Ian
Great that our recipe was a success!
Hello Rob
You can use a metalic sieve, or a strong piece of kitchen roll.
having made plum and apple jam from mother in laws windfall plums, the second batch has gone into my plum chutney which is currently on the stove – similar recipe to above but with a good glug of calvados added. I have also made previously with chopped dates and other semi dried fruit added – a good pinch of chilli flakes also gives a nice kick if you like spicy. Although not using the slow cooker this time for chutney I do use it as a bain marie for lemon curd and get great results. Hubby making Nigel Slater’s plum crumble for later – super quick and super tasty!
I found your website while searching to find out what the small yellow stone fruits are that have suddenly appeared in my neighbour’s garden.They have lived there for 15 years but never seen these before.They trimmed back what looks like a mixure of hawthorn trees and plum trees from a neighbouring garden last year and now have lots of these fruits. They look and taste like small plums,and I made a spiced upside down sponge pudding with them yesterday, yummy! I wonder if these are mirabelles or wild plums? I will be trying the chutney recipe very soon, Thanks
Hi
I found those yellow plums too whilst out picking the last of the blackberries. off to make the jam now……..
Hi Dawn, sounds like these are cherry plums. I’ve found them for the first time this year in the hedgerows. Internet searching discovered what these are and they can range from yellow to dark red. The ones I found were yellow like the colour of apricots. You can use them just like any other plum although I found that plum jam using a jam cloth and plum chutney were great sucesses!
Hi I like many many others have decided to have a go at the chutney now need to get all my ingredients, sorty to ask but after softening plums in vinegar to get stones out do you discard that vinegar? Also could I make this recipe in my large slow cooker on a low setting? Would be great if I could as busy mum! Thanks very much regards Nikki
Hello Amanda
Thanks for all those tips! Love the idea of chilli plum jam.
Hi Dawn
They sound like wild cherry plums to me. Mirabelles are very sharp tasting.
Hi Lesley
I hope that it turned out well.
Hi Lix
Thanks for that
Hi Nikki
No keep the vinegar (just use a few sploshes of the vinegar in the ingtrdients)and add it to the mix.
I don’t see why you couldn’t make this chutney in the slow cooker. If you do I’d love to hear how it turns out.
My plum jam became a tasty, thick, sticky plum and apple sauce. Should be great with cold meats. ( I decided to add a few windfall apples and the “jam” was not setting despite boiling. pleased with the end result though!
Thanks for your quick reply been shopping to get ingredients today, let you know how I get on!
Hi Lesley
Did you leave any plum stones when you were making the jam, this can make a big difference. Also a dash of fresh lemon juice can help.
Good idea to add the apples. Apple and Plum sounds delish.
Hi Nikki
We have a slow cooker so might try making some chutney in mine.
Good morning all,
I’m after some advice. As well as this excellent chutney recipe we make plums in red wine. The recipe is from Delia, Book 3 of her 3 book set. We have been freezing this to presrve it, but we wondered if, since it contains sugar and wine, whether this could be bottled in Kilner jars, for example, and not frozen. Anyone any thoughts? Incidentally, we can recommend the recipe, fresh or frozen.
I’ve just discovered Mum’s recipe for bottling fruit so maybe we’ll simply do that.
Hello David
You could preserve Delia’s plums in Le Parfait jars submerged in a water bath. We use this method for our Belgian pears and they are great for at least two years.
This yearI’m using my mum’s method for bottling fruit in a slow oven too!
I fancy having a go at making plum chutney, but I have a few Q’s before I start, my dad is diabetic so could I replace the sugar with artificial sugar/sweetner in a batch for him and how long does the chutney keep.
Hi Dawnie
I’m afraid that I have no experience of making diabetic chutney so cannot advise you.
The chutney will keep for at least two years if sealed in sterilised jars.
I am diabetic and am making it with sweetener.
I suggest about 1oz of sweetener for the recipe as sweetener is a lot more sweet than sugar.
Use your own taste buds to modify this to taste.
I think that the preservative is the vinegar so that shouldn’t be a problem.
I keep it in a fridge to aid matters, though I don’t know if it makes any difference.
Hello Dave
Thanyou so much for this, much appreciated.
I saw a neighbour’s lawn littered with apples and it reminded me that it’s time to make a great chutney that has become my favourite. You can find it at – http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/applepearandapricotc_13703.shtml. I have to rely on friends passing on spare apples and pears but they love getting the resulting chutney back. It has fresh mustard seeds, ginger and lime in it so has a bit of a kick and it is great with beef or good ham.
Hi,
This may be a very silly question but i have made your plum chutney for the first time and have doubled the recipe as i had a huge amount of windfall plums. Will it still take the 5 hours to be ready or will it be longer?
Hi Dawn
Thanks so much for this link!
Hello Susan
Yes it will take much, much longer. It’s best to make two batches rather than a giant one as you have more control. You probably will need to stir the big pot more too.
I made the same mistake years ago and in the end I took it off the heat and cooked it for the remaining time the next day.
If you have two big stock pots you could try dividing the mixture in two.
I made this recipe exactly as written 3 days ago. I know it’s meant to sit for a few weeks before eating but I had a taste just now and the over riding flavour is of white wine vinegar. Any suggestions or should this mellow with time?
Due to the glut of plums this year, everyone seems to be making chutney and the local stores have no white white vinegar. Would cider vinegar work as a substitute?
Hi Dave
Yes it would work. It might take a bit longer to mature.
Hi Fiona
So much depends on the type and sweetness of the plums, the quality of the vinegar ect. We usually can eat this immediately – perhaps our plums are sweeter.
All chutneys improve with age. Generally most people leave them for a month to mature at least. If we’d used malt vinegar I reckon the wait would be 6 months. The vinegar taste gradually disappears as the flavours develop.
Thank you for replying so promptly! It was organic vinegar- possibly not enough sugar? I think we’ll wait and see and hope for the best…….And try another batch as the smell while cooking was divine. Thanks again
I agree with FN (what does that stand for by the way?) Having just made our annual batch it was certainly edible from completion with a very smooth sweet taste, although we’ll probably leave it a while to let the flavours diffuse. I think the plums may have been sweeter this year and we use good quality white wine vinegar (why not indulge yourself once in a while). By the way, I found it hard to believe the other Dave found white wine vinegar hard to get hold of; our local supermarket has buckets of the stuff, of all shapes and sizes.
Made the Plum Chutney this weekend using my slowcooker. Fabulous, even before it has matured. I love it and need to make some more before all the plums disappear.
I decided to be cheap and bought distilled vinegar as all the wine vinegars were too pricy the week before payday and the flavour is still very smooth.
Did any of you hear a huge cheer from West Surrey today? I found a tree absolutly laden with what I think are Bullace, small yellow green plums. Slightly tart but sweet, if that makes sense! I picked as many as I could reach with my trusty hook handles umbrella and came home with 4lb. I am debating taking the stepladder back tomorrow for some more
I will cook them today to remove stones and then make another batch of chutney. It will be interesting to compare it with the one made from eating plums (victoria).
I have just come across this blog – brilliant! I am searching for a recipe for damson (or plum) gumbo and someone further up the comments promised to send one. Did that ever happen? If so I would be very grateful.
Many thanks – will now look at some of your other posts!
Discovered this brilliant blog yesterday – this recipe is wonderful
Hi this looks ace. Thanks!
Am going to try it with greengages from my tree as greengage jam got a little boring after a year of trying to get through it all despite giving away a vast majority of it to family and friends!
Have only fairly recently gone on line, dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century so don’t know what I am doing in all honesty!!! However, have attempted this receipe for p.chutney and it would appear that is going to be a good one. Out of my ingreds, I managed to get four 1 pound jars and two half that size Will take a tasting in one month and let you know the results. This “on line” game is quite good, isn’t it.
Last years wild plum jam won me a first in my local horticultural club summer show. Chutney class is in the spring show schedule so the wild plum version of this cutney will be entered into that.
Hi Chris here.
Have just found this wonderful recipe for plum chutney having just been presented by my daughter with a bag full of wild plums following her walk with the dog. I was wondering if anyone has made this chutney in a slow cooker and if so how did it go. I love making chutney but 5 hours simmering does not go down well in an open plan kitchen/dining room. (smells like still cooking 3 days later):<
Yup, I make all my chutney in the slow cooker. ‘cos the wild plums are so small simmer gently in almost no water until soft and squish out the stones and then make as recipe. Whatever you do, don’t try to cut the stones out, it will drive you mad
Last year I made my 1st batch by simmering them in some of the vinegar, never again, it made my hands really sore when squishing out the stones.
You need to bring the chutney to the boil with the lid on then simmer gently, lid off, until thickened, stiring occasionally. I’m afraid you still get the smell but it doesn’t burn if you leave it alone. You have to cook with the lid off as it thickens by evaporation.
Hi Chris here again.
Thanks for your speedy response Suky.
Am about to start it now. Watch this space!!
Chris again!!
Chutney was a huge success. It tastes divine. Will be taking some to work tomorrow for my lunch. If anything it is on the vinegary side but hey I love vinegar. That may mellow if I leave the other jars a couple of months before I open them. The problem is, can I wait that long mm?….
Sending my daughter out with a wheelbarrow next time she walks the dog for the plum collecting!!!
Hi Zoeangel
The vinegary taste does mellow. We have some 2 year old plum chutney and it’s to die for!
Hi fn
Two years?? I’ll be lucky if it lasts two months in my house. Took some to work today and yabugs!! was lucky to get the jar back in one piece, you would think they had never tasted chutney before!!!!
As promised, my daughter came back with another shed load tonight and this time, I will be putting some far far away….. (out of sight, out of mind). My little personal treat. Fancy the look of the no cook apple, date and onion one now.
I’m so glad I’ve just read your plum chutney recipe, I’m in the process of making the plum and pear chutney from the HFW preserves book. It looks good, but the recipe said 2.5 to 3 hrs to simmer, Well I’m nearly at 5 hrs now and its still not quite ready. Now that I’ve read your chutney took 5 hrs, I can relax. Thanks xx
I Have made chutney before but this one looks really nice,I’ve got an allotment so have lots of yellow and green courgettes at the moments so have added 1Lb\450g -hope it won’t spoil the chutney.
Hi Fiona from wintry Malmsbury (Vic, Aus) we are on the brink of spring, was interested in Kathy’s intention to include courgettes in ‘the lovely chutney’, whenever I have added courgettes to jammy things, they go a bit mushy, are ok in pickles, what do you think, and Kathy do let us know how it turns out. I usually have lots of courgettes too in summer. I have just made Christmas pud and cake for my Christmas in late winter next weekend, house still smells beautiful. bye for now
It has turned out perfect, we are eating it now as its TOO nice to wait,will add courgettes again.
Have just made Elderberry liqueur and cordial for the first time ever,so far the cordial is delicious with sparkling water and some sites recommend to take 3 tsp daily to ward off colds as it is high in vitamin C AND IRON.Will let you know how the liqueur tastes in 3/4 months.
Next job—soak fruit for xmas cake……….
Have plenty of spare courgettes this year, but no spare plums.
Not a good year for plums unlike last year.
However on the good side, the chutney I made last year in the super glut is still fine using the same recipe as above but with a tenth of the weight of sweetener compared to sugar. Let’s hope that it lasts until next harvest!