Mango Chutney

image by visualdensity

I love mangoes. I mean I really, really love mangoes. I could live on them throughout the entire season and not get sick of eating them.

But, a box of mangoes will only keep for so long and when you have two boxes...

I decided to try my hand at some mango chutney and since I had so many mangoes I made two different chutneys.

Mango Chutney 1

1 ½ kg mango flesh – diced
600g sugar
500ml white vinegar (2 cups)
1 ½ cups sultanas
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp fresh ginger – grated
1 tsp mixed spice
Scant ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
6 peppercorns
6 cloves
6 lge cloves garlic, finely chopped

Boil mangoes and sultanas in vinegar for 15mins. Add other ingredients, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 45 mins or until thick. Stir all the time to prevent the bottom burning. Pour into sterilised jars and seal.


Mango Chutney 2

1 ½ kg mango flesh, diced
500g onion, chopped
1 ½ cups sultanas
500g sugar
500ml vinegar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cloves, ground
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp curry powder
1 scant tsp nutmeg
2 scant dessert spoons salt

I was a bit lazier with this lot and threw everything into the pot and brought to the boil. I then reduced it to a simmer for about an hour or until it was thick. You will still need to keep stirring. Pour into sterilized jars and seal

Chutney 1 is probably the nicer of the two but chutney 2 is a lot sweeter – possibly because of the onions. I liked the idea of a sweet mango chutney and I think the heat of the garlic and ginger in the first recipe also affected the sweetness. The spices, ginger and garlic in the first one would be good for a tomato chutney though.

I think next year I will combine the two recipes and make my chutney something like this:

Next Year’s Chutney

1.5kg mango flesh, diced
500g onions, chopped
1 ½ cups of sultanas or raisins (raisins may be sweeter)
500g sugar
500ml vinegar
1 tsp mixed spice
6 cloves or so
1 tsp mustard seed
1 scant tsp nutmeg
Scant ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt


I have a Fowlers Vacola preserving kit which was given to me as a birthday present last year and it has worked really well in sealing the jars – all of them ended up sealing properly. I will definitely be preserving excess produce from now on. I usually freeze my home grown veggies but I think I will also keep an eye out for fruit specials too and buy bulk lots when they are in season.