Well it is just the beginning of fig harvest time. I plucked twenty of the ripe brown jewels last week and another ten today.
I turned last weekend’s bounty into a couple of canned jars of sweet chutney. And today’s batch was canned into a sweet and hot fig chutney.
The subtly sweet figs in this recipe get a boost from brown sugar and red wine, with a swift kick in the pants from buena mulata peppers (spawn-of-the-devil hot peppers), some ginger along with apple cider vinegar. Some softened onions and a mix of cardamom powder, cinnamon, and allspice successfully straddle the line between sweet and savory.
My plan for this delectable topping will like be served with a warm Brie and spooned onto crackers. Yes please!
Fresh Fig & Hot Pepper Chutney
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
2 small buena mulata or other hot pepper like jalapeno, seeds removed (or not) and finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
10-12 fresh figs, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup red wine
In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, hot pepper and ginger until translucent and fragrant; about 5 minutes.
Simmer the chutney. Add all of the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chutney for 1 hour, until thickened. Taste the chutney and adjust the seasoning if necessary with salt or cider vinegar; it should be a balance of sweet and tart with some hot pepper heat on the finish.
Water bath can for 45 minutes (preserved for one year after). Or allow to cool and place into container; refrigerate up to two weeks.
Homesteading after living aboard 