chutney

[woolybanana]

Can anyone suggest if it is possible to make chutney with some sort of substitute for the sugar and what to use, svp?

[val douest]

I came across this recently but haven't tried it out yet; it sounds good though.

http://www.fussyfoodie.co.uk/foodie/2835/sugar-free-chutney/

Val

[woolybanana]

Thanks, I shall have a try.

[5-element]

Woolyb, if you are wanting some sweetener, have you researched this?

http://www.stevia.com/

I don't know how available this is now, I know that there was very promising research being done about this plant, of interest especially for diabetics. I have some growing in a pot, which I enthusiastically bought in the market, and every so often I taste a leaf - very sweet indeed. But I wouldn't know how to turn it into a usable sugar substitute.

[woolybanana]

never heard of it before Mrs Elephant, but it looks interesting.

I wonder whether there is sugar in the original recipe to give sweetenss or to make it set or something. Most do seem to have it.

This is the original (from Tom Bradbury)

Makes 2 large jars

It can be made with green or red tomatoes, or a mixture.

5fl oz/140ml cider or white wine vinegar, 5oz/140g caster sugar, 2 shallots, diced, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp pepper, 3 tbsp tomato purée, 1lb 2oz/500g tomatoes, washed and chopped, 1 bay leaf, 2oz/50g golden sultanas, 1 tsp chopped thyme, 1 tsp black onion seeds.

[Russethouse]

 I think it makes it kind of gloopy - could you use treacle instead, or wouldn't that help ?

[woolybanana]

"kind of gloopy" ....... hmmmm, well, is this what we have come to, we speakers of this wonderful language, the language of Ikkl' Weed, Wag Tag and Bobtail and Oooh Slobadob?

Wew Mrs RH, fank u but myikkle toofy pegs will wot if I have to much sugiewoogie and my tum tim will be all gloopy and my doccy will smak my 'ikkle botty with a big dog collar![;-)]

Or have you been babysitting tiny people, RH?[6] eg "OOhhhh, look whose done a gloopy pooopy then? What a clever girl. Have an ikkle choccie bikkie, then take the potty and go show grandpie what a good little girl you weally are". Well, something like that anyway!!

 

[tinabee]

[quote user="5-element"]

Woolyb, if you are wanting some sweetener, have you researched this?

http://www.stevia.com/

I don't know how available this is now, I know that there was very promising research being done about this plant, of interest especially for diabetics. I have some growing in a pot, which I enthusiastically bought in the market, and every so often I taste a leaf - very sweet indeed. But I wouldn't know how to turn it into a usable sugar substitute.

[/quote]

I saw Stevia for sale on a produce market in Herault last week - never seen it here before

[woolybanana]

Apparently it is banned in the EU, except Belgium and France where it is currently on a two year trial.

[5-element]

I bought my plant in a my local market in Herault, but would imagine it is available elsewhere? The seller told me to take the plant inside over the winter as it doesn't like very low temperatures.

As for the sweetener derived from it, there is plenty of data on its usefulness for low-carb diets, such as http://www.diabeticlive.com/diabetes-101/stevia-and-diabetes/

Wooly, it took a while for Stevia to be accepted by the FDA in the US, so perhaps it is not so much that it is banned, more "not yet approved"?

[Clair]

Stevia was cleared for sale in France only a year ago (source). It has been suggested that sugar manufacturers in France had seen its sale as a challenge to their monopoly... [Www]

It is now quite easily found (example).

I have found agave syrup in Leclerc, in the "healthy foods" section.

[woolybanana]

I shall hunt and find and give it a go.

[5-element]

Great, Clair does it again!

Ouh! It's not cheap, but there again, if one teaspoon really equals over one pound of sugar...

Mr. Woolib Roue Libre, if you use it, please report back.

[woolybanana]

Oh, I always report back Mrs Elephant, with a full report, recommendations and marks out of ten!

[Weedon]

Why do you need sugar anyway? Is it for the sweetness or is it to preserve? If it is to preserve then I think that the vinegar will do that as the acid kills off any bacteria. If it is for sweetness then the sugars in the fruit will do that...won't it?  Always assuming you are making a fruit based chutney.

It depends Wooly what basic foodstuffs you are making the chutney out of. I only make chutney from the plums in my garden, of which I have 2 types, a couple of trees with Victoria type big ones, and an abundance of the little Mirabelle plums. I also make chutney using my peaches, which are very sweet.

Since making the first batch about 4 years ago I have gradually cut down on the amount of sugar I use because I have found the finished product is much too sweet for my taste and I always end up using something like a lime or lemon pickle or chilli blended in to counteract the sweetness. Friends and family who get the surplus chutney have to put up with what I have made and so far have said they like it. That may be of course because they are being polite

My next effort is to be chutney using the loads of peaches that are just about ready, and this I intend to make without using any sugar. It remains to be seen whether it will be sweet enough without any sugar.

I always follow the same Delia Smith's chutney recipe substituting my fruit for the one in her recipe.

The gloopyness referred to in an earlier posting is simply obtained from simmering it for long enough isn't it? Probably costs more in electricity than the cost of sugar!

I would be interested to know from proper cooks if my methods and theories are correct.

[Russethouse]

I suspect that taking out the sugar altogether would effect the texture, to get the same gloopiness from the natural sugars in the fruits might result in a too mushy mix, unless you say precooked eating apples first - actually in some recipes changing eaters for cookers may cut down on the sugar requirement.

Frankly unless you have a lot of chutney at once how much will it matter ? It's just an accompaniment after all...

[Weedon]

Putting it like that I suppose it doesn't matter a fig, except that you would have sauce and not chutney. I thought that chutney improved after storing it for a month or three in which case it would need something to help preserve it.

[Patf]

The boiling point of sugar is higher than that of water and vegetable materials. So perhaps the point of boiling with sugar is to preserve the other ingredients. After all , jams are also called preserves.

I don't know if this applies to pure fruit sugars too. Don't know if vinegar could have the same effect.

If you make chutney without sugar it would be more like a savoury compote.