Chutneys and curries are beloved by the British who brought them home during the days of the Raj to liven up their rather dull dinner tables. Our Maine sailors also brought home chutney, and recipes were quickly adapted to Maine fruits. Think of chutney as a spicy fruit relish often served with meat or fish. Try this one with your holiday turkey.
Chop a medium onion and mince a large garlic clove and add to a saucepan with a pound of washed and picked over cranberries. Peel and grate a couple teaspoons of fresh ginger and add this to the pot with a cinnamon stick plus 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (more or less to taste). Then add 3/4 to 1 cup of brown sugar, a cup of vinegar (white or cider) and the juice of a large orange. Mix and cook over low heat until berries begin to pop and mixture thickens. Cranberries contain their own natural pectin so the chutney will thicken up nicely. At the end add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts.
Some people add raisins or chopped apricots or even a couple peeled and chopped apples to the mix while it cooks. Without these extra fruit additions you'll end up with about 3 or 4 half pint jelly jars. Fill them up hot and turn the jars upside down to seal. Store in the fridge - this isn't a safe processing procedure! Otherwise you should process in a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes.
