The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

CHUTNEYS. — Chutney is one of the most popular forms of pickle, if it may be so called, that is eaten with cold meat. It is an Indian pickle, based on the fundamental theory of the mixture of hot, acid, and sweet forming an agreeable compound. The principal ingredients representing heat are, of course, chilies, cayenne, and ginger. The sweet is generally represented by mango, apple, raisins, etc., and the acid by vinegar. The best chutney comes from India, and the receipts for making it are almost innumerable. Like Indian curry, chutney varies according to the district in which it is made. There is Madras chutney, the Bengal Club chutney, Lucknow chutney, and Tirhoot chutney. Another chutney is known under the name of Indian mango chutney. Chutneys also are known by the name of the originator of the receipt. There is Cooke’s chutney, Colonel Skinner’s chutney, etc. All these chutneys are to be obtained in this country in bottles, and it is always desirable to purchase them of some well-known firm, as there is an enormous amount of adulteration practised. A great deal of the chutney sold in this country as Indian chutney is really made in England of ginger, apples, sultana raisins, sugar, cayenne, etc. One very nice purpose to which genuine chutney can be turned is to improve the flavour of curry made from curry powder and curry paste. The chief difference between English curry and real Indian curry is that the latter is made from curry paste, which is prepared every day from the fresh spices themselves. Those who have been fortunate enough to travel on those magni- ficent steamers of the Peninsular and Oriental Company will know that each ship is supplied with a native curry cook, who will be seen early each morning mixing the paste on a stone. The heating power of curry is dependent on the amount of chili paste added to the curry, and in England it will sometimes be found advisable to add chilies whole. A full description of the way to make curry will be found under the headings of Curry Paste and Curry Powder. The addition to the curry of a small amount of chutney tends very greatly to make the curry resemble the genuine Indian article, which so many old Indians maintain is not to be obtained in this country. Another use to which chutney may be turned is to assist in flavouring mulligatawny soup. In this case the chutney must be mixed with the mulligatawny paste, fried onion, etc., and the whole of it must be nibbed with the rest of the ingredients through a wire sieve. Care, however, should be taken in adding chutney to mulligatawny lest the soup be made too acid or too sweet. It is therefore best to use a chutney for this purpose which does not contain too much mango. Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell have been for many years justly celebrated for their chutneys, which they obtain from India direct, and of the chutneys which they supply I can particularly recommend Colonel Skinner’s chutney, Tirhoot chutney, and Indian mango chutney. Chutney is generally supposed to be an accompaniment for cold meat only. Still, in India and on board the Oriental Company’s steamships chutney is a standing dish, and is by many eaten with a variety of dishes, not merely cold, but hot.