Beet and Rhubarb Chutney - a Fresh from the Garden #RecipeRedux

Days like today, in the throes of Summer, are my bread and butter. While the temperature may be on an ever-climbing spiral and the humidity even more so, you will never hear me complain about the heat. For me, this season is far too short and far too close to the inevitable -20C Winters to squander - no, the season of sun and heat is primed for getting outside, into the pools, parks, lakes and (most importantly to me) gardens and lapping up every experience you can!

Of course, with the heat and humidity comes the occasional day of thunderstorms, and on those days I turn to the kitchen with my pots, pans, bowls and jars with the aim to preserve and showcase the bounty the season has given us so far. Our rhubarb plants (we have 5!) have been prolific this year, and I also had roasted beets from last year that I had frozen and been slowly enjoying through the Winter, but needed to shuffle out of their chilly home to make room for this year's stash. Combined with a pantry bursting to the seams with spices, I was inspired to make this year's chutney.

Now, this is one of those recipes that's "new" but not really. Instead, the mixture of spices along with the rhubarb is a twist on my Rockin' Rhubarb Chutney, with a few zippy additions (namely nigella seeds, amchur and pomegranate powder) along the way. The beets, apples and figs found their way in (being more "clean-up / clean-out" items) for a touch of extra sweetness and body, not to mention providing pops of texture when stirred into rice or dolloped onto grilled meat! I braved the wrath of my overheating family and canned most of this, but made sure to stash a jar in the fridge for them to enjoy as a little "thank you" gift!

The #RecipeRedux team is celebrating the season of bountiful produce with recipes packed with hauls from the Farmers Market, CSA shares, or our own backyards. How do you celebrate the season?

An InLinkz Link-up

Beet and Rhubarb Chutney
Makes ~10 cups, 80 (2-tbsp) servings
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp tamari (I used San-J Black Label)
3 tbsp grated ginger root
3 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tbsp pomegranate powder
½ tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp ancho chile powder
½ tsp black pepper
3 ½ lbs (about 10 1/2 cups) diced rhubarb
2 large beets, roasted, peeled and diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
½ cup raisins
⅓ cup diced dried apple
10 dried figs, chopped

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook for 40 minutes, until rhubarb is tender and mixture thickens slightly.
3. Can 10 minutes in a waterbath, freeze up to 1 year or store in the fridge up to 1 month.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 33.0
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 19.6 mg
Total Carbs: 9.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.3 g

Also shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday