Chutney and Sauces

Chutney and Sauces

Chutney and sauces are the important products prepared from fruits and vegetables. Salt, spices, sugar, acid in these products is added to improve taste and to act as a preservative. These products are well known for their palatability and appetizing nature. Mango, apple, plum, apricot, tomato, carrot etc are the raw materials for these products. Mango chutney, plum chutney and mixed fruit chutney are quite popular. Fruit chutney is a product-made in the same way as that of jam except that spices, salt and vinegar are also added. Vinegar extract of the spices is added most preferably in place of whole spices. The chutney shall contain minimum of (40% fruit)(w/w) in the final product with total soluble solids not less than 50% and acidity not exceeding 2.1%. Sauces are also prepared from more or less similar ingredients and in same manner as chutney. Except the fruit pulp is sieved after cooking to remove the skin, seeds and stalks of vegetables; to give a smooth consistency to the final product. The consistency of sauce is comparatively thin than of fruit chutney. According to FPO specifications, the quantity of total soluble solids and acidity as acetic acid in the sauce shall not be less than 15% and 1.2% respectably. Sauces may be of two kinds. Thin sauces of low viscosity mainly consist of vinegar extracts of flavouring spices, herbs etc and thick sauces which are highly viscous.

Fruit Sauce: A fruit sauce of better quality should be cooked to such a consistency that it can be poured freely without fruit tissues separating out in the bottle. The colour should be bright. The neck of jar/bottle should be covered with paraffin wax layer for airtight sealing.

Fruit chutney: The recipe for preparation of fruit chutney from different fruits is given in following table as a general guideline and method is discussed as under:

Table 11.2: Recipe for preparation of chutney from different fruits.

Recipe

Mango

Apple

Plum

Apricot

Papaya

Fruit slices/pulp, kg

1

1

1

1

1

Sugar, gm

750

750

750

1000

750

Cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, aniseed, g (each)

10

10

10

10

10

Cardamom (large), red chillies powder, g (each)

10

10

10

10

10

Salt, g

45

45

45

45

45

Onion chopped, g 

50

250

50

50

100

Garlic chopped, g

15

15

15

10

15

Vinegar, ml

170

200

175

150

200

Clove (headless), No’s

4-5

4-5

5

5

5

Sodium benzoate (ppm)

250

250

250

250

250


Procedure for preparing chutney
The fruit/vegetable is cut into slices of suitable size. Softened by dipping in boiling water. Slow cooking is preferred to yield better product than that of bristle heating at high temperature. Onion and garlic are added at the start to mellow their strong flavour. Spices are coarsely powdered and added. Spices can also be added by placing all ingredients in a cloth bags, loosely tied and placed in the mixture during cooking. Vinegar extract of spices can also be added. The vinegar is added just little before final stage of boiling. In place of vinegar, acetic acid can also be used as source of acidity. The product is cooked to a consistency of jam and filled hot into sterilized jars. The product can be pasteurized and processed at 820C for 30 minute. The storage of chutney in done at ambient temperature in cool and dry place.

1. Mango chutney

Procedure: The complete process for mango chutney is given in flow sheet (Fig. 11.3)

11.3
Figure 11.3: Flow sheet for preparation of mango chutney

2. Apple chutney
Procedure: Apple chutney is also prepared as mango chutney. The fruit slices are cooked with salt. All spices except vinegar and sugar are added and the mixture is cooked gently to the desired consistency. Sugar is then added and cooking for 5 minutes is done. Hot filling of chutney in glass jars followed by sealing helps to keep chutney for longer time. The jars are stored in dry and cool place.

NOTE: Chutney from plum, apricot, papaya etc is also prepared similarly as mango chutney.

SAUCE: Recipe used for preparation of fruit sauce as a general guideline is given in following table and explained as under:

Procedure for preparing sauces
Sauces are of thinner consistency as compared to ketchups and contain not less than 150B total soluble solid. Plum apple, papaya and mushroom etc are used successfully for preparation of sauces. High quality sauces are prepared by maceration of spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables in cold vinegar or by boiling. Thickening agents can also be added to sauces to prevent sedimentation of solid particles. Flow sheet for the preparation of sauce is given in Fig 11.4.

Table 11.3: Recipe for preparation of sauces from different fruits

Recipe

Tomato

Apple

Plum

Mushroom

Papaya

Fruit pulp, kg

1

1

1

1

1

Sugar, g

75

250

100

75

50

Salt, g

10

10

20

25

14

Cardamom, red chilies powder, g (each)

5

10

10

5

5

Ginger chopped, g

10

100

25

10

10

Onion chopped, g 

50

200

50

100

50

Garlic chopped, g

5

50

10

10

5

Acetic acid, ml

5

50

40

40

40

Aniseed powder, cumin, g (each)

10

15

10

10

10

Sodium benzoate, g/kg sauce

0.25

0.7

0.7

0.25

0.7


11.4
Fig 11.4: Flow sheet for preparation of sauce

The fruits are washed and cut in to pieces (plum and apricot are used as whole). Cook for 10 minutes by adding little quantity of water in stainless steel (SS) pan or in pressure cooker. Pass heated fruits through pulper to separate skin and seeds. Fruit pulp can also used in preparation of sauce. Add half the quantity of sugar and place the spices in a muslin cloth bag and immerse in the pulp during cooking. Cook till the pulp is reduced to half the original volume. Remove the muslin bag and squeeze into pulp. Add acetic acid salt and remaining sugar. Heat the mass for few minutes. To judge the end point, place a spoon of sauce in plate, if no water oozes out, it indicates the end point or else more cooking is needed. Fill the finished product in sterilized glass bottle, crown corked and process in boiling water for 25-30 minutes. Keep the bottles in cool and dry place.

Problem during preparation of sauce or chutney

Black neck: It is a formation of black ring in the neck of the bottles. It is caused by the iron which gets into the product from equipment metal or cap/crown cork. This iron when come in contact with tannins in spice forms ferrous tannate which on oxidation change to black colour.
Prevention of black neck
  • Fill hot sauce at temperature not less than 850C.
  • Leave less head space in bottles (more air in bottles will result in more blackening).
  • Reduce the chances of iron contamination.
  • Partial replacement of sugar by corn syrup or glucose may prevent blackening.
  • Store bottles in horizontal or inverted position to diffuse the entrapped air/oxygen.

Last modified: Wednesday, 7 March 2012, 5:55 AM