Image credit: Einladung_zum_Essen on Pixabay / CC0 Public Domain

The end of summer always means an abundance of cheap fruits and vegetables. To make the most of this, I typically stock up on fruits and prepare them in a way so I can store them either in the freezer or in my pantry using Weck jars. I make jelly and all sorts of chutneys for the winter, because in Europe exotic fruits cost a fortune during that time of the year. So today I am making Apricot Blatjang, which is an apricot-raisin chutney which you can eat with roast or bobotie.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs. fresh apricots
  • 250 gr / 8.8 oz onions
  • 1 red chili pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 100 gr / 3.5 oz raisins
  • 200 gr / 7 oz (caster) sugar
  • 1 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves)
  • 1 tbsp djahe (ground ginger root)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp massala curry powder
  • about 250 ml / 1 cup of wine vinegar
  • 8 Weck jars (I have these ones*)

Method

First, clean the glass jars in hot water mixed with (baking) soda and put them upside down on a clean towel. Rinse the jars with hot water before filling.

Cut the apricots in halves en remove the seeds. Then, chop the onions into small pieces. Do the same for the chili pepper and remove the seeds. Press the garlic. Add these ingredients together with the apricots and the spices in a large pot and start to cook them gently. Keep stirring.

Add in the vinegar, raisins and the sugar after 15 minutes. Cook it for another 20 minutes while stirring regularly.

Rinse the glass jars with hot water and fill them with the piping hot sauce. Close jars immediately. Put the jars in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes to force the air out. Vacuum jars can be stored safely. Only use this method for condiments that are acidic. You have to pressure cook jars that contain regular non-acidic ingredients.

You can store the blatjang in a cool and dark place for about a year. Once opened, you can keep the pots in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks.

* Indicates an affiliated link. For more information visit the disclosure section in the about page.