My Mother’s recipe for Rhubarb and Date Chutney
Submitted by Michael Morgan
A lovely warm and well-rounded chutney. Always eaten straight away in our house!
However, it does benefit from leaving for a couple of months so that the flavours can fully develop.
We like to serve with cheese, pâté, cold meats, sandwiches etc. In fact it perks up any dish.
Like most chutneys, it will keep in sealed jars kept in a cool place for at least a year. Once opened keep in the fridge and use within 4 weeks, If you can keep it that long!
Ingredients for Rhubarb and Date Chutney:
- 1 lb Rhubarb
- 1/2 lb Dates
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 pt malt vinegar
Method for Rhubarb and Date Chutney:
- Wash and cut up the rhubarb, chop the dates
- Add the onion the cayenne pepper and the ginger
- Pour vinegar over and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until tender
- Pour into heated sterilised jars and seal
Always eaten straight away in our house!
General Chutney Making Information
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Hi, this recipe looks great & can’t wait try it! Just wanted to check two things, how long will this chutney store for and can the rhubarb be replaced with other ingredients? Look forward to getting your reply, many thanks
Hemlata.
Hi, the chutney should be fine for up to 12 months, we’ve never changed the ingredients but feel free to try.
Thanks MM
I have just made this but it tastes rather sour, should it have sugar in it?
@Sally:
Hi Sally,
I am going to try this recipe next week (June 2013) and believe you are right re sugar. I shall attempt 1lb soft brown. If I remember, I’ll let you know what it tastes like.
Regards,
Alan Turner
I am today trying the recipe. A similar recipe for Rhubarb and Ginger chutney (also on this site) has 1lb of brown sugar in ingredients. I am adding the sugar to this recipe. Not sure when we will try chutney but certainly within a month. Really looking forward to it. Not tried before but sounds absolutely delicious and what a good use of a glut of rhubarb!
many thanks to author.
I am about to make this chutney and noted the queries re adding sugar. As yet there seems to be no response but I would think the dates add sweetness so if sugar was added it perhaps should be less than 1lb. Would be useful to get a response on line to the previous queries. I shall make my first batch without.
Hello I did make the Chutney as per the recipe and it definitely needs sugar. We tried it fairly soon after it had cooled but too sour. I am now making a second batch and will at a later stage marry the two together, having put in enough sugar for both batches.
I have made this recipe and yes it is sour. Generally the amount of sugar used is the same weight as fruit, so I plan to add half a pound of soft brown sugar (the dates will make up the other half pound).