Spicy Lemon Chutney Recipe

Prep: 2 hrs

Cook: 2 hrs

Total: 4 hrs

Servings: 10 servings

Yield: 4 1/2-pint jars

59 ratings

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
304	Calories
1g	Fat
79g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories	304
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 774mg	34%
Total Carbohydrate 79g	29%
Dietary Fiber 7g	23%
Total Sugars 62g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 125mg	626%
Calcium 93mg	7%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 685mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This spicy lemon chutney preserves the bright flavor of winter lemons for use all year long. It is based on the excellent recipe in Laurie Colwin's "More Home Cooking." Spoon it on roast meats (it is especially tasty with leftover cold chicken) or serve with mild cheese on crisp toast or crackers for an easy appetizer. You will want to eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar.

An absolute key to the success of this recipe is to be sure to remove all of the white pith from the zest and from the fruit—it is remarkably bitter and if you include it in the mixture, the chutney will be bitter, too.

10 to 12 lemons (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons Diamond kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar, packed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 2 or 3 lemons
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, remove the zest from lemons. Be careful to remove only the zest (the thin outer yellow skin) and not any of the white pith beneath. Finely chop zest and put in a large bowl.
Cut off and discard the white pith. Finely chop the lemon flesh, discarding any seeds, and add to bowl with the zest. Add salt, stir to combine, and let sit at room temperature overnight.
Put salted chopped lemons in a large pot. Add sugar, garlic, currants, lemon juice, cider vinegar, ginger, coriander, cayenne, and pepper flakes. Stir to combine over medium heat. Cook until mixture thickens, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add jars and lids and turn off the heat.
When chutney is thick, remove jars and lids from their hot water bath and dry. (Bring the pot of water back to a boil.) Fill jars with chutney. Using a wide-mouth funnel makes filling the jars much easier. If you don't have one, however, just spoon the chutney into jars and clean edges with damp paper towels when jars are full. Firmly screw on lids.
Put jars back in the pot of boiling water (jars should be covered by at least 2 inches of water). Boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars and let cool. Store at room temperature for at least 6 weeks and up to 6 months before eating to let flavors blend. Keep opened jars chilled.