Talkback: Grow your own chutney - Talkback

28/05/2010 at 14:25

Recepie sounds quite mouthwatering, will have to try this one.Am growing most of my own veg this year and hoping to stock the cupboards for the winter months.

Gardeners' World Web User

29/05/2010 at 18:41

Sounds great & I had no idea one could grow turmeric in this country! Where can I buy tubers for planting? Is it possible to use the tubers from the (Thai or Indian) green grocers?

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30/05/2010 at 05:59

Just found a bag of Red Baron lurking in my cupboard so am going to plant and keep fingers crossed for own onions to make this and a green tomato chutney this year...thanks for the prompt

Gardeners' World Web User

30/05/2010 at 09:34

You can get fresh turmeric in Indian and Thai greengrocers - it's surprisingly easy to grow. I got mine last year from the Grenada Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Red Baron still fine to plant, just keep the sets well watered if you live somewhere that hasn't had much rain.

Gardeners' World Web User

31/05/2010 at 14:38

last year my wife made lots of homemade chutney, from all vegetables and fruit grown on our plot, useing green and red tomatoes, chillies, cues, and beetroot, its great to open a jar on Christmas day, thoughts of summer come flooding back.

Gardeners' World Web User

01/06/2010 at 11:00

Thanks for the recipe Lila, I'm not growing runner beans this year, but have 12 dwarf french bean plants, I presume it would work just as well with french beans? For the past two years I've made beetroot chutney,from a recipe I got off the internet, my husband loves it so much it doesn't last very long. I made the mistake of taking a couple of jars to our daughter-in-law now our son who hates beetroot cannot wait for this years harvest.

Gardeners' World Web User

03/06/2010 at 08:37

Dahlia lover, can you share the beetroot recipe (or a link to it)? Sounds lovely. I think French beans would also work with the Delia recipe.

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03/06/2010 at 11:18

Hi Lila, I cannot find the link to the site for the beetroot chutney, so here is my recipe, I tend to tweak recipe's and with this one I've reduced the amount of sugar and added honey instead and I've also added cinnamon. The amounts given will fill 4/5 jars of approx.300g. Adjust the amounts according to how much beetroot you have available. The original receipe says to pre-cook the beetroot by boiling for 45 mins, but I roast mine covered in foil gas mk 4 for about 1 hour. 600g cooked beetroot 300g onions (I use red) 240g cooking apples 80g demerera sugar 3tbl honey 1/2tsp dried ginger 1/2tsp cinnamon 2tsp salt 160ml malt vinegar Dice the beetroot,onions and apples small and put all the ingredients into a large stainless steel or other non-corroding type of pan leaving at least an inch of space at the top for froth and bubbles. Bring the mixture to a strong boil stirring regularly to disolve the sugar. Cover and simmer gently for approx 45mins stirring occasionally. Seal in sterilised jars. I'm not sure how long you can store them for, as I said earlier mine don't last longer that a couple of month's. This year I'm growing more beetroot, I've 40 plants in the ground already and just about to sow some more, hopefully this should make sufficient chutney to stock my larder through winter. Hope you enjoy the chutney.

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03/06/2010 at 14:23

Yum! Thanks for that. Am growing lots of beetroot too.

Gardeners' World Web User

04/06/2010 at 08:17

I always have lots of chillis left over chilli jam is delicious with cold ham in the winter or amazing with a cheese board. I also freeze them whole and put some in a olive oil to make my own chilli oil gifts for friends.

Gardeners' World Web User

08/06/2010 at 14:15

I have three large blueberry bushes and had fruit from them all last year. However, this year only one has any fruit. They all have been pruned in the same way - does anyone have any ideas for the possible reason

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08/06/2010 at 16:25

what do I do after my Salvia Argentea has flowered - is magnificent at present - can I plant the seeds in the Autumn ? or should I not have let it flower? presume its a bi/enneal

Gardeners' World Web User

09/06/2010 at 15:29

You could let the Salvia Argentea self-seed as it will happily do so. Just take out any that settle in locations you don't want. Regarding blueberries - do you recall having flowers on them? No flowers=no fruit. Did they get frosted and die? Obviously the birds love them and sometimes get to them before you can. Blueberries like to be well watered - we haven't had much rain of late (and ericaceous soil can dry out quite quickly), they also like acid soil with a low pH - worth testing your soil if you are not sure. Hope you get a better crop next year.

Gardeners' World Web User

18/06/2010 at 16:41

i've made the runner bean chutney several times and i only use about one pound of sugar as i find it very sweet otherwise- just a thought in case you want siomething slightly less sweet- it still keeps ok.

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07/07/2010 at 18:00

i know this is off topic but does anybody know how to set up an allotment association?

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28/07/2010 at 18:28

this year i am trying to grow a very large pumpkin at the allotment,i have one thats growing very well, and is putting on weight every day, is there anybody that has a secret feed that works, homemade if possible , or a shop brought feed thats far better then what they say on the tin

Gardeners' World Web User

30/07/2010 at 19:00

I use comfrey tea, just cut some leaves of comfrey, put in a bucket, cover with water, and put a lid on. leave for a few weeks and use. it does whiff a bit though!!

Gardeners' World Web User

31/07/2010 at 11:53

hi youngdigger thanks for your help i have some comfrey growing in the next plot to mine thats has plenty of leaf, i will try this, sounds good any any thoughts would be of help as the pumpkin is putting on around 2.lb per day but this i hope will increase as it gets bigger

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02/08/2010 at 19:35

I made a delicious courgette and tomatoe chutney last year from a Gardeners World recipe,then gave the magazine away! does anyone have the recipe?

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29/08/2010 at 18:40

I would like Alys Fowler's instructions for vinegar beans from the 26 Aug, I believe, television broadcast. Thank you.