Mango chutney is one of my favourite preserves to serve as an accompaniment to curries, along with Indian lime pickle. You can make chutney from ripe yellow or underripe green mangoes, and they have quite different flavour profiles. This chutney recipe uses ripe mangoes, and is a sumptuous mix of sweet, sour and spicy notes that pair perfectly with fiery rich gamey meat curries like lamb jalfrezi, beef vindaloo and curry goat.

Catch & store energy by making this preserve when mangoes are in season and you can buy trays of them for cheap. If you don’t have time to cook up the preserves when the fruits are abundant, you can peel & dice mango flesh and freeze in containers or bags until you’re ready.

Whenever I make this chutney, I obtain an extra yield by valuing the edges of the mangoes: I mix the skins and pips with some lemon and sugar to create luscious Mango Skin Syrup which keeps in the fridge for about a month. As we start seeing cheap trays of mangoes in late November, the combo of making up batches of chutney to give as low-waste gifts AND making up mango syrup to use during the festive season is an absolute no-brainer for me!

I’ve included the recipe for the mango skin syrup below, in case you’re interested in stacking functions and gaining the best yield from your fruit too. I originally got this idea from the inimitable Cornersmith, who have written some of my favourite books on reducing food waste by using creative cooking. Check them out if you haven’t already.

INGREDIENTS:

• 600ml/~2.5 cups vinegar – cider or malt
• 400g/2 cups sugar – raw or white
• 1.8kg mangoes (~3-4 large mangoes)
• 500g green apples (~3 apples)
• 2 medium onions (~400g)
• 6 garlic cloves (~30g)
• 2 long red or green chillies, dried or fresh (optional)
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
  BONUS RECIPE (optional) – Mango Skin Syrup
• 1 medium lemon
• White sugar – around 2 cups

METHOD: (makes around 6x 270ml jars)

1. In a very large pot over a low heat, dissolve sugar in vinegar.
2. Wash mangoes. Remove & reserve skins and pips (if doing the bonus recipe – otherwise compost them).
3. Dice mango flesh into 3-4cm cubes. Add to the pot.
4. Peel & core apples. Dice flesh into 3-4cm cubes. Add to pot.
5. Peel onions. Dice finely. Add to pot.
6. Peel garlic. Mince finely and – you guessed it – add to pot.
7. Add chillies, ginger, and salt to pot. Stir well until all ingredients are combined.
8. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to a steady simmer.
9. Wash & sterilise jars and lids. This article shows you how.
10. Simmer over a low heat – stirring regularly – until no excess liquid remains. This may take a couple of hours. Stir more frequently as mixture gets thicker, so prevent it ‘catching’ and burning on the bottom.
11. Spoon or pour chutney into jars while hot. Wipe rims of jars with clean cloth dipped in boiling water, then seal jars quickly.
12. Remove chillies, then spoon or pour chutney into jars while hot. Wipe jar rims with clean cloth dipped in boiling water, then seal them quickly with sterilised lids.

Label once cool, and store in a cool dark spot.

This preserve can be eaten after around a month, but will improve dramatically over time, so leave it for as long as you can to mature. I’ve happily eaten batches I opened after 2 years. Refrigerate after opening and then use within a couple of months.

BONUS RECIPE – Mango Skin Syrup
1. Weigh skins & pips. Add to a large bowl or container.
2. Add an equal weight of sugar to the skins and pips.
3. Wash, halve and squeeze a lemon into the bowl. Chuck the squeezed lemon rind in there too.
4. Mix well, cover, and leave at room temperature for a few hours. Stir once or twice if you remember.
5. Strain out the bits and compost them. Pour syrup into a jar or bottle, label and keep refrigerated for around a month.

Serve with sparkling water or prosecco for a fun fizzy beverage, add to baking mixtures for a tropical treat, or drizzle over pancakes and yoghurt to feel like you’re at the buffet of an island resort.

NOTES

• Swap out one cup of white/raw sugar for brown sugar for a richer, more caramelly flavour.
• You can use white vinegar if you prefer ( I find it a bit too sharp in flavour), but avoid wine-based vinegar as it lacks the acidity to preserve your chutney properly.
• A jamming funnel is really useful when making chunky preserves like chutney, as it reduces the mess when filling jars, and means you don’t waste as much either!
• You can use the scrap syrup method for making all sorts of delicious fruit syrups too. One of my favourites is strawberry tops, but I also love pineapple or kiwi skin syrup as well. Here’s a video showing how I do it with strawberry tops.

Permaculture Principle 2: Catch & store energy, 3. Obtain a yield, 6. Produce no waste, 8. Integrate rather than segregate 11. Use edges and value the marginal

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Looking for more savoury preserves to make? Take a look at these chutneys…