Feijoa Manuka Chutney

feijoa manuka chutney.jpg feijoa manuka chutney, refined sugar free, earl greay soaked dates.jpg
  • Prep time:24 hours
  • Cooking time:3 hours roasting
  • Recipe serves:Makes about 8 jam jars :)

This feijoa chutney is an exotic, divinely-flavoured taste sensation, that is wonderfully addictive and plays around on your tongue with wonderful sweet, sharp, hot and sour notes!! It is refined sugar free, we have sweetened it naturally with wonderful manuka honey and earl grey soaked dates which creates a smoky aroma combined with playful cardamom and punchy green chilli. Devine with sharp aged cheddar, brilliant dolloped next to a curry and fabulous friend to meat, fish and chicken. Use your abundance friends and bottle this baby to use fabulous feijoa throughout the year. A kiwi-inspired chutney using the best from Mother Natures Pantry :) xox

Ingredients

  • 3 kg peeled feijoas, firm but ripe roughly chopped
  • 1 kg peeled shallots, finely sliced
  • 4 large green chilies, stems removed, finely chopped
  • 4 dessertspoons of manuka honey
  • 2 large dessert spoons Himalayan pink salt
  • 330mls apple cider vinegar
  • 5 large juicy lemons (from last years crop, still on the tree if poss) -the juice and the zest
  • 1 10cm piece of manuka branch, with leaves, flowers and stem, washed. (or you could use rosemary)
  • 3 cinnamon quills
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • 2cm piece of root ginger, finely chopped
  • 12 green cardamom, crushed
  • 12 black cardamom, crushed
  • 1 dessertspoon dried chili flakes
  • 350g dried dates (soaked overnight in strong earl grey tea, I used 3 tea bags and covered the dates)

Method

 

  1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the earl grey soaked dates) together and leave in a covered dish overnight. It is important to taste the mixture at this stage while raw and adjust to your liking with more lemon or chilli etc and depending on the ripeness of your feijoa's.
  2. The next day add the soaked dates and the earl grey liquid and mix well, then place in a non corrosive roasting dish or dishes and place in an oven, preheated to 180ºC
  3. It will take between 2-3 hours to cook, at which point you will need to have stirred it from time to time.
  4. It is cooked when the liquid has mostly evaporated and the shallots and fruit have begun to caramelise slightly, your kitchen will smell aromatic and wonderfully fragrant!!
  5. Taste for seasoning, then spoon into very hot sterilised jars and seal. Enjoy the feijoa feast :)