Potluck Preparation – Mango Chutney
Tomorrow is the second PPK potluck, and this time the theme is orange – flavor or color. I decided to make mini samosas with mango chutney. If a little chutney is good, certainly a lot of chutney is better. I’ve been reading up on home canning recently and decided a high-acid food like mango chutney would be a great introduction to preserving food.
I now have 8 half-pint jars of homemade chutney ready to go, but I fear the samosas will need to be prepared by my husband Stewart. When canning, you should really use the proper equipment. Jar lifters are indispensable. I decided that tongs and a oven mit would be just fine until I got a jar lifter. Oh, how wrong I was! The jar slipped from the tongs and splashed boiling water inside my heat-proof water-proof mit, burning me thoroughly. If you’re going to try home canning, please spend the $5 for a jar lifter. Please.
Despite the whole painful injury thing, home canning is fun. I’ll post a full write up on it once I’m able to complete the process with properly fuctioning limbs. The photo to the left shows my chutney processing in a boiling water bath, which does double duty killing any unwatned bacteria and forming a vacuum seal. Tomorrow I’ll be able to check to make sure my seals are tight, but until then they sit undisturbed in the kitchen.
This chutney, as long as the seals test okay, will keep for at least a year. How exciting! I can’t wait to try more home caning (after my hand heals, of course.)
Tomorrow night I’ll have a full update on the Boston Orange themed potluck, pictures and all. I hear there will be cake and pies galore, root beer floats and even orange pizza. I’m very excited. If my hand is up to it, I might even make some donuts.
Oh gosh, your hand looks worse than I expected. Don’t try to do too much!
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry about your burn. The chutney looks neat though, I’m glad you won’t let the incident deter you from further canning! Have fun at the pot luck!
Nikki – Don’t worry! I wrapped it up all crazy-like to prevent further injury, and it hurt so bad at first I wasn’t how serious it really was. It actually feels a bit better now, only one small area blistered, so I should be back at it soon!
Thanks Tania, I can’t wait to can again! I joined a CSA for this summer, so I’m sure I’ll have ample material to practice with. :)
Oooh, which CSA did you join? I want to do it, but I’m clueless about the CSAs around here.
We joined Redfire Farm, since the pick up is just a few minutes from us at the Harvest Coop in JP. We got 1 share and a fruit share. It’s a lot of money up front, but we adore CSAs and fresh picked organic goodies, so we think it’s worth it!
Plus, the same amount of food bought from the store would cost more and not be as fresh. I can’t wait until June, especially because kale is one of the first things to come in season. Yay kale!
OH no!!
I’m so sorry to read about your hand. I promise that I will go buy a jar lifter. I do a fair amount of canning, and I’ve always scrapped it with tongs. It looks so scary.
On the other hand, your mango chutney looks beautiful. I’m sure that it will be a bit hit. I wish I could come to the potluck.
You poor thing! I hope you heal up soon.
Mango chutney is one of my favourite condiments — it goes with everything as far as I’m concerned!
Oh I’m so sorry about your hand! Last year my mom and I were trying to can pickles, and we didn’t have a jar lifter, so she just decided that using a spatula would work! Seriously, a spatula, we had to try to scoop it up from the bottom, then grab it with your other hand (1 hand had an oven mit, the other didn’t). Thank god we got a jar lifter this year.
Yay for canning! Hope your arm/hand heal soon :)
Oh man, sorry you hurt yourself! Is Neosporin vegan? Keep that area disinfected and how, and wrap it up tight!
It’s so cool that you canned stuff! I’ve wanted to do it for ages. Never without a jar lifter. Point made.
No more damaging yourself for the blog! Remember–you are an animal too!
Take care next time.
stumbled upon this site, and just wanted to comment that Neosporin is not vegan for anyone who may read through the comments.