One of my peeves about South Africans who have elected to live outside their homeland is when they lament the absence of certain homegrown treats that they can’t get. The list is endless: Cream Soda,NikNaks, Ghost Pops, Peppermint Crisps, Ouma Rusks, Mrs Balls chutney, the list goes on and on. Oh, and Biltong and wors, because, obviously.
Me? Oh, I’m not exempt from this group by any means. My staples are Rooibos Tea, 5 Roses Tea and Baking Powder. And Bovril. Because life is too short to have la confiture on your baguette every day 😉
Rooibos is available here, but then you pay about the same for 20 double-wrapped teabags as you do for a box of 80 Freshpak teabags. And when you have only ever drunk 5 Roses tea since the age of 15, the idea of French Lipton Yellow Label tea – which is akin to dishwater- leaves you a little cold. I have since become accustomed to loose leaf schmancy tea and have a drawer of pots, tea strainers and stuff, but still, whenever we get a chance, there’s an order for those teabags from home. And as for baking powder- Moirs and Royal baking powder are really just much better than the ‘leurve chemique’ we buy here, particularly when a great majority of my recipes call for a certain quality of baking powder.
In the last 7 years I have seen less people bemoaning the fact that their adopted countries don’t have the certain treats so it’s less of a peeve nowadays. And to be honest, there’s always ways to get around, and it doesn’t always include buying from the pricey online shops.
My hubby has long since known how to make wors and biltong, and while there is a certain level of equipment needed, it helps to have South African friends with whom we can share the task with.
We’ve introduced Malva Pudding to the French here in Strasbourg, and across the French countryside, there’s a veritable collection of industrious and talented Rusk, Milk Tart, Romany Creams and Hot Cross Bun Bakers who have managed to bring a taste of home into their homes. However, I see the recent question running through the socials is Where Do We Find Chutney?
I have ongoing arguments with my French colleague about exactly what a chutney is. He seems to think that a Red Wine Onion Jam scented with les épicés de Noël is a chutney. But of course, it’s not. It’s marmalade for the foie gras, non? So when its my turn to make chutney for the menu, I turn to my MIL’s recipe. Anton has long since lamented the absence of Mrs Balls’ chutney in our house. Apparently it’s possible to buy it in Belgium during BBQ sorry, braai season, but that’s a relatively short lived season, and we don’t see our Belgian friends often. So a few years ago we phoned Koekie (Anton’s mom) and asked for her recipe. She’s made her own chutney forever and a day.
When it comes to bottling and preserving vegetables, it’s a good idea to think back to the era BR (Before Refrigeration). Isn’t the best time to make your preserve in the season it’s grown in? So in the event of an overload of cherries on the tree that will make you look like the Witches of Eastwick if you eat them all, bottle them in brandy. Or, if it’s the season for peaches and apricots, make chutney.
For the last 4 years Anton and I have made at least 2 batches per year. We gift some to our local SA friends and the rest goes into our fridge, and for the most part, it lasts the 10 months between the end of one summer and the start of the next. We’re lucky that we have a pretty big fridge, and to be honest, I’ve not tried storing the excess in our cave so I can’t commit to its’ real shelf life. But perhaps if you try this recipe out, the chutney you make won’t last a year anyway 😉
Oumies Apricot Chutney
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Fresh ripe Apricots (stone removed to weigh)
- 3 large Onions
- 1 tablespoon Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Dried Chilli (more if you like it hotter)
- 500g Sultanas or raisins *
- 750ml Vinegar (wine or malt vinegar is fine)
- 750g White Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Salt
*Sultanas are optional. Sometimes I add them, sometimes I omit them.
Preparation method
- Chop the onion as small as you can. Chop the ginger, and cut the apricots into quarters.
- Place all into a large heavy bottomed pot and add the remainder of the ingrediants.
- Bring everything to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow it to simmer for an hour or two. Stir occasionally to make sure the ingrediants are not sticking to the pot.
- Leave it overnight in the pot to cool down, and then pour into sterile bottles.
I find that the amount of time to make chutney differs every time, as the apricots may be riper or less ripe. The trick is to keep an eye on it, and determine for yourself if the fruit is sufficiently macerated enough. I guess as long as you can’t see chunky pieces, that’s a good indication of it its ready.
EDIT: I’m not a Queen of The Preserve, and have little patience for sterilising bottles so my method of bottling chutney once it’s cooled isn’t necessarily the best choice. Rightfully, by bottling your chutney hot, and immediately sealing it with the lid, you create a vacuum thereby creating a more sterile bottle, in which case you can definitely store it in a cupboard as opposed to a fridge. Thanks to my South African community for pointing this out 😘
This recipe works the same if you replace the apricots for peaches.
A friend of mine recommended that a good time to buy fruit for preserving is to pop in to your local market at the end of the day to see if they have any fruit left that they haven’t sold, and perhaps take it off their hands for a reduced price- perhaps they don’t want to pack it up and transport it home. Most importantly, however, is to preserve fruit that’s in season, which should go without saying. After all, there is little point in buying out-of-season apricots to make chutney.
I’m inserting this recipe on a Word Document should you wish to print it.
It looks like making chutney will be on the cards for Anton next week when he’s back to working from home. He’s been repairing machines at the office that have been sold for Covid testing. I will be returning to work by the weekend. Naturally, I’m less happy than others, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.
On that note, I’m off for a walk ;-). Chat soon, love and best wishes to you all. ❤️
Hugs,
Love
Me. 🦋👩🏻🍳
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 