Fermented Apple-Pear Chutney
By: Leda Meredith
Published: Sunday, February 28, 2010 - 12:41pm

Ingredients




3 cups fresh pears or apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1/2 cup filtered water or non-chlorinated water
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons whey* (see note below for making whey)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground spicebush berries (or black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds

Preparation

1 Make whey: drain yogurt through coffee filter. Liquid is whey. 2 Combine the water, vinegar, honey and whey. 3 Combine all ingredients. 4 Pack into glass jars, leaving an inch of head space. 5 If liquid doesn't come up to the top of the fruit. add filtered water. 6 Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 days. 7 Refrigerate and leave for another week before eating. 8 Will keep in the refrigerator for 2 months.

About


I’ve fallen in love with lacto-fermented chutneys.The flavor of these fresh chutneys is so good that I could (and do) eat them straight out of the jar, plus you get all sorts of health benefits that aren’t in the vinegar versions (lacto-fermented foods have good-for-you bacteria in them–think yogurt).
The recipe below is a Northeastern locavore’s variation on one by Sally Fallon (I swap in just a little vinegar to replace non-local lemon juice, and local honey instead of Rapadura). This chutney is an especially good use up for the storage apples and pears we’re getting at this time of year.
The only downside is that lacto-fermented foods take up refrigerator space. You could process them in a boiling water bath to make them shelf-stable, but don’t because that kills off those healthy bacteria.
Serve with rice, meat, cheese, whatever suits your fancy. I’ve been putting dollops of it on top of butternut squash soup, and that’s a heavenly combination.