Mango Chutney, Revisited

When I stumble onto a recipe that works every time, I stick with it and rarely change either ingredients or instructions. My mother’s mango chutney is one of those tried and true recipes that I make over and over, usually in summer, stashing some for food gifts during the holidays.

When I assembled everything to make my most recent batch, including the mangos at the peak of ripeness, perfect for chutney-making, I discovered my sugar bin was completely empty. Too lazy to run to the store, I spied an unopened bag of organic dark brown sugar from Trader Joe’s. On an impulse, I subbed the brown for the missing white sugar.

Before canning the chutney, I sampled it, bracing for the slight tartness from the vinegar, a taste that mellows once the chutney “rests” for a couple weeks. Amazingly, it tasted smooth with rich caramel undertones. Sure, the color was a bit darker, but the taste made up for it, I thought.

I hate to say it, but I think Mama’s mango chutney recipe has only been improved a bit.  I’m sure she would approve, and here’s the link to her original recipe.