Which mean, not the standard coconut, mint and tomato chutneys you get in most South Indian households and restaurants. The chutneys UpperCrust has sourced out are the more exotic variety. But made from simple enough everyday fruits and vegetables like mango, lemon, peach, marrow, banana, raisin, pineapple and ginger. These chutneys improve and mellow with keeping so leave them for at least one month, preferably longer, before opening. Some of them, if kept unopened and stored in a cool, dark and dry cupboard, will keep for even upto a year and more.

Ingredients:
Fills about two 500 gm jars
8 peaches, ripe but firm
2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander
125 gm demerara sugar, 300 ml distilled malt vinegar

Procedure:
This fruity, dark coloured chutney is interestingly spiced with curry flavours. Leave it for two weeks before using but once opened, eat it within one month. Unopened, it will keep for upto one year. Halve, stone and finely chop the peaches. Put them into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Bring gently to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for about two hours. The pieces of peach should stay intact but they will soften and become coated in a small amount of dark syrup.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills six to seven 500gm jars
1 kg plums, halved,
stoned and chopped
2 large cooking apples,
peeled, cored and chopped
4 onions, chopped
500 gm raisins
250 gm demerara sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 600 ml malt vinegar

Procedure:
Plums make a sweet, fruity, dark purple chutney and adding apples gives a good, thick texture. Leave it for one month before using. Once opened, it should be eaten within two months. Unopened, it will keep for up to two years.
Put all the ingredients into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan and bring gently to the boil. Simmer for about one hour, or until the chutney is thick, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills about five 500 gm jars
12 bananas
6 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 large orange, grate the rind and juice
500 gm raisins
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp ground cardamom
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
600 ml white wine vinegar

Procedure:
The flavour of this light brown chutney dotted with dark raisins is sweet, dry and spicy. Ready to eat after two weeks, unopened, it will keep for upto one year. Peel and finely chop or mince the bananas and the onions. Crush the garlic with the salt.
Put the chopped bananas and onions with the crushed garlic into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix together. Set the saucepan over a low heat, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 1 1/4 hours, or until the mixture is thick.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills about four to five
500 gm jars
2 large pineapples
2 tbsp salt
125 gm fresh ginger root
10 cloves garlic
250 gm light, soft
brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
600 ml white wine
vinegar
375 gm sultanas

Procedure:
More syrupy than most chutneys, this hot and sour version is nonetheless thick enough to hold the pineapple chunks prettily in suspension. Ready to eat after two weeks, unopened, it will keep for upto six months. Remove the rind from the pineapples. Slice and then finely chop the flesh, removing the cores. Put the pineapple pieces into a bowl, sprinkle them with the salt and leave for one hour then drain them.
Peel and grate the ginger root. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Alternatively, peel and roughly chop the ginger root, put it into a food processor with the garlic cloves and process until they are very finely chopped.
Put the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan, pour in the white wine vinegar and bring to the boil. Add the pineapple, ginger and garlic with the sultanas and simmer gently for two hours, or until the liquid has reduced and thickened to a syrupy consistency; it will be more runny than the usual thick, pureed type of chutney but will thicken as it cools.
Spoon the chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills about five 500 gm jars
6 under-ripe mangoes, 1 tbsp salt
60 gm dried tamarind, 250 gm raisins, soaked for 12 hours
750 ml malt vinegar
60 gm fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 fresh red or green chilli peppers, cored, seeded and finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic, crushed 375 gm dark muscovado sugar

Procedure:
Very dark in colour this is a rich, hot and fruity chutney that still maintains the fresh quality of the mango. Leave it for two weeks before opening. Once opened, it will keep for upto one month. Unopened, it will keep for upto two years. Peel and dice the mangoes. Put them into a bowl, mix in the salt, and leave them for two hours. Do not drain them. Put the tamarind into a bowl, pour six tablespoons of boiling water over it and leave for 30 minutes. Rub it through a sieve.
Put the raisins into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan, pour in the vinegar and add the mangoes, the tamarind pulp, ginger, chilli peppers, garlic and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for about one hour, or until the mixture is thick. The mangoes should be tender but still in recognisable pieces.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills about four 500 gm jars
2 kg ripe tomatoes
3 onions, finely chopped
450 ml distilled malt vinegar
250 gm granulated sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice

Procedure:
Take advantage of the tomatoes to make a chutney with a natural savoury flavour and a bright orange colour. It makes a wholesome replacement for bought ketch-up. Keep it for two months before using and, once opened, eat it within one month. Unopened, it will keep for upto two years. Put the tomatoes into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them and leave them for one minute. Drain them and skin them, then finely chop them.
Put the skinned tomatoes and onions into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan with 150ml of the vinegar. Bring gently to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the onions are soft.
Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for a further 1 1/2 hours, or until the chutney is thick.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills five to six 500 gm jars
1kg stoned dried dates
4 onions
4 large apples
125 gm dark muscovado sugar
180 gm black treacle
600 ml cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground allspice

Procedure:
Dark and thick, this farmhouse-style chutney is hot, spicy and sweet. For bitter-sweet chutney, you may replace 125 gm of the dates with chopped candied peel. Leave the chutney for at least two weeks before opening. Unopened, it will keep for up to two years. Finely chop or mince the dates and onions. Peel, core and finely chop or mince the apples. Put the chopped dates, onions and apples into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan and add all the remaining ingredients. Bring slowly to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 1/4 hours, or until the mixture forms a thick, dark chutney. Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Ingredients:
Fills about five 500 gm jars
8 lemons
2 grapefruit
8 onions, finely chopped
2 tsp salt
250 gm sultanas
750 gm demerara sugar
2 tbsp mustard seeds
900 ml white wine vinegar

Procedure:
The rich dark brown of this unusual bitter-sweet chutney is flecked with mustard seeds and lighter pieces of citrus fruit. Leave the chutney for one month before using and, once opened, eat it within one month. Unopened, it will keep for upto two years.
Scrub the lemons and grapefruit and finely chop them, flesh and skin together, removing as many pips as possible. Layer the citrus fruit and onions in a bowl with the salt. Cover and leave for 24 hours.
Put the citrus fruit and onions directly into a preserving pan or non-reactive saucepan, without draining them. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring them slowly to the boil and simmer for two hours, or until the chutney is thick and dark.
Spoon the hot chutney into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.