How to make pineapple chutney

What the fruit brings

Pineapple is markedly acidic in its own right, which means less vinegar is needed for balance — though how much is needed for a jar to keep safely is a food-safety question rather than a matter of taste.

The flesh is fibrous and holds together well through simmering, so the pieces stay distinct. It also carries enough sugar that a pineapple chutney needs less added sugar than most.

The bromelain in fresh pineapple is destroyed by cooking, so it presents no problem here — unlike in anything set with gelatine.

The method

Faster than most chutneys. FoodHQ does not publish keeping times, acidity figures or jar-processing schedules. In the UK the Food Standards Agency is the authority on whether and how a sealed preserve is safe to store — follow its guidance on sterilising, sealing and storing.

1. Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, and cut the flesh into small chunks. Keep the core and chop it finely — it is edible, just fibrous, and it adds body.
2. Warm oil in a heavy pan and fry whole spices — mustard seed, cumin, dried chilli, curry leaves if you have them — until they pop.
3. Add chopped onion or shallot, grated ginger and chopped chilli and cook until softened.
4. Add the pineapple, vinegar, sugar, salt and ground turmeric.
5. Simmer uncovered for forty-five minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. It thickens faster than an apple chutney.
6. Apply the channel test and pot into hot sterilised jars with vinegar-proof lids. A chutney tastes raw and vinegary when it is first potted and mellows considerably over weeks. Judging it on the day you make it is the commonest reason people conclude they do not like their own chutney.

Variations and uses

• South Indian style, with mustard seed, curry leaves and coconut, served with dosa or rice.
• Caribbean style, with scotch bonnet, allspice and thyme.
• Pineapple and chilli relish, cooked less far and used as a condiment.
• With a little dark rum stirred in off the heat.
• With red pepper, which adds sweetness and colour.
• Tinned pineapple works at a pinch — drain it thoroughly and reduce the added sugar.
• With pork, ham, cold chicken, curry or a hard cheese, all of which suit it.

Notes

Ripeness

A ripe fruit gives a sweeter chutney; a slightly under-ripe one is sharper and holds its shape better.

The core

Edible and fibrous. Chop it finely and include it rather than discarding it.

Vinegar

White or cider. Less is needed than for a low-acid fruit, within the limits of safe storage.

Cooking time

Around an hour, which is shorter than most chutneys.

Heat

Pineapple carries chilli extremely well. Be more generous than you would with apple.

Common questions