Fire Cider Chutney is made with the herbs you strain from your finished Fire Cider. Once, when I finished making a particularly lovely batch of Fire Cider, the herbs were still so vibrant and full of life. I decided rather than tossing them in the compost to toss them in the food processor instead. What resulted was a sweet, hot, pungent chutney-like product. This is delicious served on toast, with rice, on veggies, and eaten straight from the spoon.
After the Fire Cider herbs have been saturating in the vinegar for 4 -5 weeks, strain the herbs from the vinegar. The herbs should still be somewhat firm and flavorful. If you wait too long to strain your Fire Cider (some people let it sit for months before straining), the herbs begin to break down and lose their flavor. So, when planning to use the herbs to make Fire Cider Chutney, be sure to strain within 4-5 weeks.
After straining, bottle the liquid; this is your Fire Cider. Save the herbs (sometimes referred to as ‘the marc’); this becomes your Fire Cider Chutney.
Add the strained herbs to a food processor or blender and grind coarsely (don’t blend into a smooth paste; just until coarse and chunky). If too dry, add a little of the Fire Cider Vinegar to the mix. I usually add a little more honey to moisten and sweeten the herbs.
Adjust flavors. You might find it needs a little more honey, or Cayenne or Ginger ~ it’s up to you and your taste buds. I’ve also added raisins, cranberries, and walnuts to the herbs in the food processor and ground them in. They add a deliciously sweet, nutty flavor that balance the hot pungent flavors of the Fire Cider herbs.
Notes
Your finished Fire Cider Chutney should be sweet but not too sweet, hot but not too hot, and just right for your personal eating pleasure! This delicious chutney is great on toast, mixed with rice, veggie dishes, is a favorable addition to soups, or enjoyed right from the spoon. It’s the perfect winter condiment!The batch I used to make my first Fire Cider chutney had organic lemon with peel in it (for the zest) and it added a nice lemony flavor that enhanced the finished product. If using a lemon with peel, be sure it’s organic. I’ve also made it without the lemon and it was equally good. Be creative and have fun!Please note: you can also make Fire Cider Chutney without first making Fire Cider. Just add the Fire Cider herbs to a food processor, add only enough vinegar to moisten, and grind to the desired chunky consistency. Add honey and adjust flavors, adding a little more Ginger, Garlic, etc. as needed so it is just perfect for your taste buds.
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