James Villas

Key West Mango Chutney

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Makes

    four

    1 pint jars

Appears in

The Glory of Southern Cooking

The Glory of Southern Cooking

By James Villas

Published 2007

It always amuses me that the natives of Key West (and most other Floridians) rave about their mango chutneys as if the condiment had been created in their locale and had not existed in India for centuries. No matter, for, as far as I’m concerned, it is indeed the queen of chutneys, whether served with ham, pork, or roast duck or spread on rice muffins, buttermilk bread, or even pecan waffles. One hint: the chutney is even better if the ingredients are mixed and allowed to stand overnight before cooking.

Ingredients

  • 4 slightly firm mangoes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 cups cider vinegar
  • 1½ cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cups seedless golden raisins
  • 1 small red chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method

In a large stainless-steel or enameled pot, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer till the mango chunks are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.

Ladle equal amounts of the chutney into four 1-pint sterilized jars to within ¼ inch of the tops, seal, and store for at least 1 month at room temperature before serving.

© 2007 All rights reserved. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.