Savory Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney

Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney, with its sweet, tart and savory ingredients, compliments and balances the rich flavors of holiday dishes. It’s the perfect condiment for baked ham, roasted turkey or goose, brie en croûte, pâtés or served alongside cured meats and cheeses on a beautiful charcuterie board when entertaining.

Fruit chutneys are very versatile and are a wonderful condiment to serve alongside rich dishes especially during the holiday season. In this recipe, I used fresh pineapple and cranberries but feel free to use any combination of fresh or dried fruits to make the chutney your own. It will keep about a month in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for about 6 months. With easy to find ingredients, this is a condiment that should be on your “must try” list.

Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney

Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney

Makes about 1 quart, adjust the recipe accordingly.

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 large red onion, finely diced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into bitesize pieces (canned pineapple can be substituted)
• 1/2 c. golden raisins
• 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c., dark brown sugar, packed (depending on how sweet pineapple is)
• 2 star anise
• 1 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• a few grinds of black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. rum
• 1 c. water
• 1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries (frozen can be substituted)

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add the pineapple, raisins, ginger and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add the vinegar, brown sugar, star anise, spices and rum and stir well. Return to the heat and simmer until pineapple is soft the the mixture has thickened about 30 to 45 minuets. Remove the star anise and add 1 cup of water and the cranberries and bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the cranberries burst and soften, about 10 minutes. The chutney will be slightly runny but thickens when cool. Place into a serving dish and refrigerate until ready to serve. Making it a couple of days ahead, will let the flavors meld.

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If you use frozen cranberries, there is no need to defrost them.

The chutney can be prepared a day of two in advance, as a matter of fact the flavors will improve.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled if you want to put the chutney into canning jars and process in a water bath or it can be frozen so that you can enjoy the flavorful condiment throughout the year. If stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will keep about a month.

Cook’s notes

Honey Baked Ham With Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney

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I made the Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney to go with a Honey Baked Ham at Thanksgiving and it was the perfect condiment. If you are thinking about having ham during the holidays, I think you would enjoy it as much as we did. Besides ham, the chutney makes a great side to serve with roast pork, turkey, goose or duck as well. Normally, my husband likes a jellied cranberry sauce, especially with turkey, but I’ve made him a convert with this recipe. After having it with the ham, corn casserole, savory whipped sweet potatoes and creamy fresh green beans and mushrooms, he also had it during the week with ham sandwiches on King’s Hawaiian rolls and as a condiment with fried pork schnitzel.