1 ICKLED GINGER
Pickled ginger has a fresh, cleansing tartness. You can thinly slice the pickled root into "chips" to accompany sushi, or you can mince the ginger, fold it into soft butter, and serve it with grilled chicken or fish. Also, it can be minced and put into a vinaigrette for an oriental-style salad dressing.
'h pound fresh gingerroot, peeled Ч2 cup water
2 teaspoons salt % cup sugar
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1. Rub the ginger with salt and allow to drain for 2 hours. Then rinse thoroughly and place in a sterilized jar.
2. Heat vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour this over the ginger, cover, let cool, and refrigerate.
Note: This isANGO CHUTNEY
Despite what you may have heard, there is no mystery to the preparation of chutney. This recipe is very easy to make and is so much better than the store-bought variety. Yes, there are a large number of ingredients, but I'll bet you have many of these spices taking up space in your cabinet right now. This chutney tastes best if stored for one month prior to using, but it can be enjoyed sooner.
Makes 4 to 6 quarts
6 mangoes, peeled and cut into strips 1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 quart apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
2 cups granulated sugar ¥2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 cups chopped onion 2 teaspoons ground mustard seeds
6 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup raisins
4 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1 cup currants
% teaspoon salt 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled,
4 teaspoons cayenne cored and chopped
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and store overnight in the refrigerator.
2. The next day, put the mixture in a large heavy pan. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, or until syrupy.
3. Spoon into sterilized jars. Cover and process as per canning instructions. Cool. not a long-term pickle; use it within a month.
PPLE CHUTNEY
Makes 1 gallon
l>/2 tablespoons ground ginger 3 cups raspberry vinegar
% teaspoon ground cloves 1V2 cups Pepper Jelly (page 205) or other
'/4 teaspoon ground allspice tart jelly
Ъ tablespoon ground nutmeg 142 cups sugar
2 bay leaves V/2 cups Michigan dried tart cherries, or
3 sweet bell peppers (1 green, 1 red, and raisins
1 yellow, if possible), chopped 18 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored,
Juice of 4 lemons and chopped
1. Tie the spices in cheesecloth and place this "bag" in a large bowl. Add the chopped peppers.
2. Briefly heat the lemon juice, vinegar, jelly, sugar, and cherries or raisins. Pour the heated mixture over the spice bag and peppers and allow to steep while you prepare the apples.
3. Add the chopped apples to the bowl and mix briefly with a wooden spoon. Refrigerate the entire mixture overnight.
4. The next day, put the mixture into a heavy saucepan and gently heat and simmer until thick, approximately 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
5. Remove spice bag and process chutney in preserving jars according to canning instructions.