Slow Cooker Fruit Recipes - Curried Slow Cooker Fruit Chutney
Chutney
is a condiment that is most often made from fruits or vegetables. It can
be dry or moist. It has its roots in India where it is typically made to
be eaten right away, but the versions found in the United States and
Europe are often made to be preserved, or canned. The word chutney comes
from roots that relate to ‘crushing’, but this dried fruit slow cooker
recipe is going to save you all that work.
While you won’t have to do any crushing, you may have to do some
chopping. However, if you can buy previously chopped dried fruits, you
have hit the jackpot and this chutney recipe will be a breeze for you.
The biggest trick here is to make sure you do not overcook the fruits.
You want to only cook them until they are tender but have not lost their
shape.
Curried Slow Cooker Fruit Chutney
450 g of chopped dried fruit, preferably a mixture like peaches,
apples, dates, mangoes, etc. (1 pound)
450 g of coarsely chopped dried apricots (1 pound)
1 cup of coarsely chopped pitted prunes
1/2 cup of raisins
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup of brown sugar
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Start a covered slow cooker and allow it to start heating up on the
high setting.
Mix all of the ingredients, the dried fruits, the brown sugar, the
liquids and the spices, together well. Place them in the slow cooker and
cook covered on high for an hour and a half. After that, turn them down
to low heat and let the chutney cook for another hour and a half. Keep
your eye on it around the last hour or so of cooking to make sure you
are not overcooking it (remember, the fruits must be tender but not lose
their shape).
Once the chutney is finished cooking, turn off the heat and let it cool.
If you want it to cool faster, you can remove it from the cooker to a
large bowl. Once it has cooled down, put it in the refrigerator.
You can store the slow cooker dried fruit chutney in jars or any other
container that has a tight seal. Fruit chutney makes a good condiment
for ham, pork chops or pork roast, fish and many other foods – use your
creativity and imagination.
When purchasing a crockpot, look for one with a removable liner. They
are much easier to clean. If you have a nonremovable liner, however, all is
not lost! Line your crockpot with a cooking bag and you'll have no cleanup
at all. Spray the inside of the liner with cooking spray before you fill it
to make cleanup easier.
140F/60C is the temperature the food needs to reach as quickly as
possible. If you are at home during the cooking times, test the food
temperature after four hours of cooking on LOW - the temp should be at least
140F/60C.
For food safety reasons, it's a good idea to cook on HIGH for the first
hour to quickly bring the temperature up to 140F/60C. Then turn the dial to
LOW and finish cooking.
Experts recommend you do not put frozen foods in the crockpot. All foods
should be defrosted before cooking so the food temperature can reach
140F/60C as soon as possible. However, since none of my family members are
in a high-risk group, I often cook frozen foods in the crockpot. The
informed choice is up to you.
Remove cooked food from the crockpot or liner before you refrigerate the
cooked food. Because the liner is made of such thick material, the food
won't cool down quickly enough to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Chutney
is a condiment that is most often made from fruits or vegetables. It can
be dry or moist. It has its roots in India where it is typically made to
be eaten right away, but the versions found in the United States and
Europe are often made to be preserved, or canned. The word chutney comes
from roots that relate to ‘crushing’, but this dried fruit slow cooker
recipe is going to save you all that work.
