Blackberry chutney is not the first thing I would have pictured making with my yield of berries but I am so glad I tried it. It tastes wonderful with meats, cheeses, on sandwiches and is particularly delicious on a grilled chicken breast. The sweetness of the berries is offset by the tang of the vinegar and adds quite a bit to your meal experience. Chutneys are savory fruit blends that go well on all different kinds of meat.
Ingredients to Make Blackberry Chutney:
Makes: 6 half-pints
8 cups blackberries
1 finely chopped onion
2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups red wine vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder
Preparation to Make Blackberry Chutney:
Place all the ingredients in a pot and simmer until thick. (Remember it will thicken more as it cools.)
Canning Blackberry Chutney:
Ladle hot chutney into a hot jar, leaving ½ -inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles with clean chopsticks or other utensils.
Clean the jar rim with a clean cloth.
Center the lid on the jar and adjust the band to finger-tip tight. Repeat until all of your jars are full.
Process Jars:
Place the filled jars into the water bath canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 to 2 inches. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the water canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Then set your timer. Process half-pint jars for 10 minutes at sea level. Remember to adjust your processing time if you are above 1000 feet in elevation.
Once your chutney has completed processing, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, remove the jars from the canner and space the jars about an inch apart on a heat-resistant surface for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.
Remove the rings and wash off the outside of the jar, paying close attention to the threads.
If a jar does not seal, then place it in the fridge and use it immediately. Store the sealed jars in your pantry to enjoy for the next 1-3 years. After three years the nutritional value of canned food diminishes. The quality is best in the first year.
