Chutneys, Jams and Pickles
Cooking Skills: Cheese and Party Snacks 1
Chapter 3 · Chutneys, Jams and Pickles
Skill goal
Make chutneys, jam and quick pickles to go with cheese, and know when and how to keep them safely.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Cheese loves something sweet and something sharp beside it: chutney, jam, marmalade or a pickle. They are all cooked down sugar, acid and fruit or vegetables. The difference is in the proportions, and what you want at the end: a thick, spoonable chutney, a set jam, or a crisp quick pickle.
Which is which?
| Chutney | Jam | Quick pickle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made from | Fruit and/or vegetables, vinegar, sugar, spices | Fruit, sugar and a little acid | Raw fruit or vegetable in a hot vinegar brine |
| Flavour | Sweet, sour, spiced | Sweet, fruity | Sharp, crisp, fresh |
| Time | 45 to 60 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes | 15 minutes, plus chilling |
| Texture | Thick, jammy chunks | Soft set | Crisp |
| Matures? | Improves for a few days | Best fresh | Good after 1 hour, better the next day |
| Keeps (my route) | Fridge, about 2 weeks | Fridge, about 2 weeks | Fridge, about 1 week |
What makes jam set
A jam needs three things: pectin (a natural gel in fruit, higher in under-ripe fruit, apples and citrus), sugar and acid (lemon juice helps). Heated together to about 105°C, they gel when cool. Fruits low in pectin (figs, strawberries, cherries) set better with lemon juice or jam sugar, which has pectin added. Chutneys don't need to set: they just need to thicken by evaporation.
The wrinkle test
A thermometer is a guide, but the saucer test is more reliable. Boil, then test little and often: boiling for too long gives a hard, rubbery set.
The fridge route or sealed jars
- The fridge route is the simplest and lowest risk for a beginner. Make small batches in clean jars, refrigerate and eat within a couple of weeks.
- Sealed jars store for months, but need sterilised jars and lids and well-set, acidic recipes. Follow the sterilising box, and keep any jar that doesn't seal in the fridge. Once opened, keep sealed jars in the fridge.
- Always use a clean spoon, and throw it away if you see mould, smell fermentation or the lid has bulged.
Flavour
Balance sweet and sour: taste at the end and adjust. Add spice (mustard seed, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, chilli), and savoury depth (onion, balsamic) for cheese chutneys. Let chutney rest for a few days: the flavours blend and the vinegar mellows.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Apple and onion chutney
The classic partner for cheddar. Cooking down apples, onions, vinegar and sugar until thick and glossy is the whole skill.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 500 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 100 g raisins or sultanas
- 150 ml cider vinegar
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- Put everything in a large, deep, heavy pan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring more often towards the end, until thick and no watery juice pools when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan.
- Taste (carefully, on a cooled spoonful): adjust with a little more sugar or vinegar if needed.
- Pour into clean jars. For the fridge route, cool, cover and refrigerate. For sealed jars, follow the sterilising box. Chutney tastes best after a few days.
Hot sugar and keeping
Hot sugar burns badly: boiling jam and chutney reach well over 100°C and stick to skin, causing severe burns. Use a large, deep pan (the mixture rises when it boils), a long wooden spoon and oven gloves, keep children and pets out of the kitchen, and never taste jam straight from the boiling pan. Pour into jars with a jug or a jam funnel and a steady hand. Run a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes and get medical help for a bad one.Fridge route (the one I recommend for beginners): make a small batch, pour it into a clean jar, cool, and keep it in the fridge. Use within about 2 weeks (a cautious general figure, not one from a preserving guideline). Always use a clean spoon, and throw it away if you see mould, smell fermentation, or the lid has bulged.
Sterilising jars (for sealed jars): wash jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse. Stand the jars upright on a tray in an oven at 140°C (120°C fan) for about 15 minutes to dry and sterilise; most recipes I found use this setting, though the times varied between sources and I did not find an official preserving guideline. Fill them while they are still hot with the hot jam or chutney, leaving a gap of about 1 cm at the top, and put on the lids at once. Don't touch the inside of the jar or lid. If a lid does not seal, keep the jar in the fridge.
Level 2 · Set
Fig or plum jam (a small batch)
Fruit, sugar and acid make jam set. A small batch is quick and low-risk, and a fig or plum jam is superb with blue cheese and brie.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 500 g ripe figs (or plums), stalks removed, chopped
- 300 g jam sugar (with added pectin) or granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 100 ml water
- Put two saucers in the freezer. Put the fruit, water and lemon juice in a wide pan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fruit is soft.
- Add the sugar and zest and stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Then boil hard for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring, until it reaches setting point (about 105°C on a thermometer).
- Test with a cold saucer: put a spoonful on it, wait a minute, push with a finger. If it wrinkles, it is set. If not, boil for 2 minutes and test again.
- Skim off any foam, cool for 10 minutes, then pour into clean jars. Keep in the fridge, or follow the sterilising box for sealed jars.
Hot sugar
Hot sugar burns badly: boiling jam and chutney reach well over 100°C and stick to skin, causing severe burns. Use a large, deep pan (the mixture rises when it boils), a long wooden spoon and oven gloves, keep children and pets out of the kitchen, and never taste jam straight from the boiling pan. Pour into jars with a jug or a jam funnel and a steady hand. Run a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes and get medical help for a bad one.Fridge route (the one I recommend for beginners): make a small batch, pour it into a clean jar, cool, and keep it in the fridge. Use within about 2 weeks (a cautious general figure, not one from a preserving guideline). Always use a clean spoon, and throw it away if you see mould, smell fermentation, or the lid has bulged.
Sterilising jars (for sealed jars): wash jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse. Stand the jars upright on a tray in an oven at 140°C (120°C fan) for about 15 minutes to dry and sterilise; most recipes I found use this setting, though the times varied between sources and I did not find an official preserving guideline. Fill them while they are still hot with the hot jam or chutney, leaving a gap of about 1 cm at the top, and put on the lids at once. Don't touch the inside of the jar or lid. If a lid does not seal, keep the jar in the fridge.
Level 2 · Slow
Red onion marmalade
Onions cooked slowly until soft and sticky, then finished with vinegar and sugar. It is brilliant with goat's cheese and cheddar, and in sandwiches.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 4 red onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 75 g light brown sugar
- 100 ml red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 sprig of thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan over a low heat. Add the onions, thyme and salt and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and starting to colour. Don't let them burn.
- Add the sugar and both vinegars. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring more as it thickens, until sticky and dark.
- Remove the thyme. Taste: add a little more vinegar if too sweet, or sugar if too sharp.
- Cool and pour into clean jars. Keep in the fridge and use within about 2 weeks, or follow the sterilising box for sealed jars.
Hot sugar
Hot sugar burns badly: boiling jam and chutney reach well over 100°C and stick to skin, causing severe burns. Use a large, deep pan (the mixture rises when it boils), a long wooden spoon and oven gloves, keep children and pets out of the kitchen, and never taste jam straight from the boiling pan. Pour into jars with a jug or a jam funnel and a steady hand. Run a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes and get medical help for a bad one.Fridge route (the one I recommend for beginners): make a small batch, pour it into a clean jar, cool, and keep it in the fridge. Use within about 2 weeks (a cautious general figure, not one from a preserving guideline). Always use a clean spoon, and throw it away if you see mould, smell fermentation, or the lid has bulged.
Level 1 · Quick
Quick pickled grapes or pears
A fast pickle that needs no long cooking: sharp, sweet and crunchy, and beautiful next to blue cheese.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 250 g seedless grapes (or 2 firm pears, sliced)
- 150 ml white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard seeds or peppercorns
- 1 star anise or cinnamon stick (optional)
- Pack the grapes (or pear slices) into a clean jar with the spices.
- Heat the vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour the hot brine over the fruit so it is covered.
- Cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour (better overnight).
Keeping
Quick pickles are not preserved: keep them in the fridge in a covered jar and eat within about 1 week.
Experiments
Experiment
Sugar and vinegar balance
Sweet versus sharp.
- Divide a batch of chutney into three small pots near the end of cooking. Stir 1 teaspoon of extra sugar into one, 1 teaspoon of extra vinegar into another, and leave the third plain.
- Taste each with a piece of cheddar.
Look for: The sweeter pot is milder and goes with sharp cheese; the sharper pot cuts through rich cheese; the plain pot is the balance you set. Decide which partner you want it for.
Experiment
Cooking time
Thin and thick.
- Take a spoonful of chutney after 30 minutes of simmering, and another at the end (50 minutes). Cool and taste.
Look for: The early chutney is loose, wet and sharp; the late one is thick, glossy and sweet. You can stop whenever you like the texture.
Experiment
The wrinkle test
Test at three stages.
- While making the jam, test with a cold saucer after 5 minutes of boiling, after 8, and after 10.
Look for: The first test is runny, the next may wrinkle slightly, and the last is firmly set. This shows you what each stage looks like and how fast it changes.
Experiment
Fresh or after a week
Time improves chutney.
- Taste a spoonful of the apple chutney on the day you make it. Taste another a week later from the fridge.
Look for: The vinegar mellows and the flavours blend. This is why chutney is made ahead.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple and onion chutney | ||||
| Fig or plum jam | ||||
| Red onion marmalade | ||||
| Quick pickled grapes or pears | ||||
| Sugar vs vinegar | ||||
| Cooking time | ||||
| The wrinkle test | ||||
| Fresh vs a week later |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Jam won't set | Too little pectin, sugar or boiling | Add lemon juice or jam sugar and boil for a few minutes; test with a cold saucer |
| Jam is rubbery | Boiled too long | Next time test earlier; loosen by warming with a splash of water |
| Chutney too runny | Not cooked down enough | Simmer a little longer, uncovered |
| Chutney too sharp | Too much vinegar | Add sugar and simmer a few minutes; leave a few days |
| Burnt on the bottom | Heat too high or too little stirring | Don't scrape; pour into a clean pan; lower the heat |
| Mould on top | Not sealed, or kept too long | Throw the jar away; don't scrape off and use |
Hot sugar, jars and keeping
Hot sugar burns badly: boiling jam and chutney reach well over 100°C and stick to skin, causing severe burns. Use a large, deep pan (the mixture rises when it boils), a long wooden spoon and oven gloves, keep children and pets out of the kitchen, and never taste jam straight from the boiling pan. Pour into jars with a jug or a jam funnel and a steady hand. Run a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes and get medical help for a bad one.Sterilising jars (for sealed jars): wash jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse. Stand the jars upright on a tray in an oven at 140°C (120°C fan) for about 15 minutes to dry and sterilise; most recipes I found use this setting, though the times varied between sources and I did not find an official preserving guideline. Fill them while they are still hot with the hot jam or chutney, leaving a gap of about 1 cm at the top, and put on the lids at once. Don't touch the inside of the jar or lid. If a lid does not seal, keep the jar in the fridge.
Fridge route (the one I recommend for beginners): make a small batch, pour it into a clean jar, cool, and keep it in the fridge. Use within about 2 weeks (a cautious general figure, not one from a preserving guideline). Always use a clean spoon, and throw it away if you see mould, smell fermentation, or the lid has bulged.
Allergens: chutneys and pickles may contain mustard seed, celery or nuts, and some spice mixes contain gluten. Check labels if anyone you cook for has an allergy.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make a thick chutney by simmering and testing.
- I can test jam with a cold saucer.
- I know why jam needs pectin, sugar and acid.
- I know the fridge route and the sealed-jar route, and which to choose.
- I handle hot sugar safely.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Cheese and Party Snacks 1, chapter 4 is Baked and Hot Cheese: melting without splitting, and baking soft cheese.