Recipe: Mango-Jalapeño Chutney

A little while back, I sampled some of these Pepperlane preserves at my local Whole Foods. I really liked the idea of a sweet and spicy jam but I wasn't quite willing to pay $9 for a small bottle of jam from a grocery store, so I decided to make my own. It turned out sweet with just a little bit of kick in the finish; I would imagine you could add more peppers if you prefer something more spicy. I'm calling this a chutney because it is more of a thick sauce than it is gelatinous, but I would imagine that if you added a little bit of pectin, you could turn it into a jam with a longer shelf life.

Ingredients
1 large mango (I used the green and red kind from Mexico)
1 green jalapeño pepper
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar

Directions
Slice open the jalapeño and remove the stem and seeds. Finely dice the jalapeño. Cut the flesh of the mango into small cubes. (I found this video to be pretty helpful.)

Add 1 cup of water and the jalapeño to a small saucepan and bring the ingredients to a boil on high. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the mango, stir, and let the mixture simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally as the sauce thickens. Simmer until the mango is soft and the little liquid remaining has been reduced to a very thick syrup. Crush some of the mango with the back of a spoon, if desired, to achieve a more sauce-like consistency.

Makes about 1 cup.

| Photo Credit: Me. |