I have returned to canning and have been canning like mad, which I think explains why I was so crazy. I spotted this recipe and made and canned it without even cluing into the fact that it is not a canning recipe. I think what I need to do is stick all of my chutney in the freezer. Is that right? Should I take them out of their jars? (They were processed for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.)

This is the recipe:

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded, diced 1/4 inch, about 1/2 cup
1 small white onion, peeled and diced, about 1/2 cup
1 small jalape�o pepper, seeded and diced, 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup white raisins
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds firm, fresh peaches, blanched to remove the skin, pit removed, sliced into wedges

I think it was much too low on vinegar...

Thank you all for your help in advance.

You have about 1 1/4 cups low acid ingredients and 1/2 cup vinegar (2.5 to 1). Compare that to the surejell hot pepper jelly recipe that has 4 cups low acid ingredients and 1 cup vinegar (4 to 1).

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-hot-pepper-jelly-51962.as px

These are the proportions from Caribbean Peach Chutney in the Ball Complete Book. For our purposes I will estimate low based on their guide and say 3/4 cup per onion and bell pepper. So the ginger, onion and bell pepper together would be 4 cups plus the banana pepper to 1 cup vinegar (also 4 to 1). Of course you have the addition of the candied citrus peel which is also a low acid ingredient.

1 cup peeled, chopped gingerroot
1 cup malt vinegar
10 cups chopped, pitted, peeled peaches (Their guide says 1 lb peaches should yield about 2 1/4 cups sliced peaches or 1 3/4 cups crushed)
2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 onions, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 hot banana peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup mixed candied peel* (of your choice)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Here is an approved recipe with mangoes which are less acidic than peaches (although maybe similar if underripe?) The proportions are very similar.

Personally, I would leave it alone. But if you have anyone in your family with a compromised immune system or you have a low comfort level with these things, by all means, freeze it.

If I were to make it for canning I'd replace about 1/2 the vinegar with lime juice - good flavor addition and more acidic. Plus I'd leave out the candied peels just because I hate 'em. :)

Otherwise freeze it and if you do leave a good 1-1 1/2" headspace in the jars and the lids on loosely till frozen or put it in plastic freezer containers.

JMO

Dave

Chutneys are generally long-cooked, so if you cooked the low-acid ingredients in the half cup of vinegar first to thoroughly acidify the onion and pepper then stirred in the peaches in a second step, I doubt there's much of a problem with it.

The other method would be to increase the vinegar and cook it down. That is a lot of product and depending upon the peaches could be somewhat dry.

Just my take on it.

Carol

This is the second time I have been this silly, and I vow never to let it happen again.

Once more, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of the helpful people on this board. I am mostly just a lurker, but I just want you to know that you have a serious fan-girl out there somewhere...