Page 37 - Horticulture Practical Guide

ANNEXURE-IV

Main Points to be considered in Chutney Making

1. Iron and Copper equipments should not be used in the preparation of chutneys as
these metals are acted upon by vinegar. Further, traces of these metals dissolved in
oil, catalyze the development of rancidity in the products. They also react with the
tannin of fruits and spices and thereby adversely affect the colour, taste and

lavour of the product. The vessels used should be glass-lined or made of nickel or
stainless steel.

2. The quality of a chutney depends to and large extent on its cooking which
should be done for a long time at a temperature below the boiling point.

3. To ensure proper thickening, cooking is done without a lid even though this
results in some loss of volatile oils from the spices.
4. Chopped onion and garlic are added at the start to mellow their strong lavour.

5. Spices are coarsely powdered/grinded before adding and extract of spices may be
used instead of whole spice.

6. Spices and vinegar are added just before the inal stage of cooking, because
prolonged boiling causes loss of some of the essential oils of spices and of vinegar
by essential oils of spices and of vinegar by volatization.

7. In mango and apricot sweet chutneys where vinegar is used in large quantity, the

amount of sugar added may be reduced, because vinegar itself acts as a
preservation.
8. The chutney are cooked to the consistency of Jam to avoid fermentation.

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