I recently headed to a local specialty food store to look for a relish or chutney to go along with a pork tenderloin I was making that evening. I found one brand I thought looked really interesting made with apples, garlic and jalapeno peppers, but it was a small jar and cost almost $10. Since there was no way I was going to spend that much for a little jar of relish for our pork, I decide to make my own and wrote down what ingredients were used from the jar I found at the store.
I was very happy with how my relish turned out, and I ended up with 3 pint jars, so I’ll have lots of relish for future roasts as well. On the jar, it is stated that the relish works well with both chicken or pork, and I’ve yet to try it with chicken, but it went really well with our roast pork.
The relish or chutney is both sweet and savory and the garlic adds a subtle depth of flavor while the jalapeno adds just a little hint of heat. I also added some chopped red pepper and parsley to my relish, mainly for appearance, as I found the relish a little too boring looking. I also added a couple of teaspoons of pectin to thicken the sauce, but you could either cook the sauce a little longer to thicken it and skip the pectin or just leave the relish as is.
Deborah Mele
Apple, Garlic & Jalapeno Relish
A relish that is both sweet and savory that goes well with either pork or chicken.
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Chopped, Peeled Apples
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 5 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced
- 1 to 1 1/2 Jalapenos, Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Finely Minced Ginger
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Sweet Red Pepper, Cut Into Small Dice
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Parsley
- 2 Teaspoons Liquid Pectin (Optional)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except the pectin in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the apples have started to break down and the mixture has thickened. (The mixture should look similar to chunky applesauce)
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- If using, stir the pectin into the apple mixture and stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pack into hot, sterilized jars with lids.
- Cook the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool in the pot, then remove the jars from the bath and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.