How To Make & Can Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Chutney

A jar of spicy ginger pumpkin chutney next to crackers and cheese. One cracker has cheese and the pumpkin chutney on it. — What’s a cheese board without a jar of chutney?

I love chutney.

I want that printed on a t-shirt, and maybe a bumper sticker too. Definitely a mug.

(Sidenote: I just looked, you can get an “I Love Chutney” t-shirt on Amazon. You can get anything on Amazon.)

I also love pumpkin.

I’m not one for the whole pumpkin spice latte craze; it’s a nice flavor to be sure. But to me, pumpkin spice belongs in a pie. Or beer.

But pumpkin chutney?

Oh, now we’re talking, my friend.

Move over pumpkin spice lattes because let’s face it – pumpkin chutney should be more of a fall thing. Especially spicy ginger pumpkin chutney.

It’s got all that wonderful pumpkin flavor. Plus, the warming bite of fresh ginger, the tart tang of apple cider vinegar, and just a little bit of heat from hot peppers to finish it all off. And don’t forget the caramelized onions and plump, juicy raisins.

The ingredients for pumpkin chutney are laid out and ready to use: pumpkin, apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, an onion, fresh ginger, raisins, and brown sugar. — I’m always amazed at how basic ingredients can be combined to make such wonderful flavors.

Sorry, I was drooling on my keyboard.

Spicy ginger pumpkin chutney is the perfect addition to any fall table setting.

It’s the perfect addition to any cheese plate or charcuterie board.
It goes great with wine or a good dark beer.
Slather it on thick slices of warm bread to accompany a hearty stew.
Pork tenderloin done under the broiler becomes a meal worthy of company when you spread this marvelous chutney on top.

And don’t forget, the holidays are right around the corner.

Make a batch of these beauties just for gift-giving. Can the chutney in quarter-pints for the perfect gift-giving size.

Tuck them into a basket with freshly baked bread and other homemade treasures from your pantry, and you’ll have the perfect last-minute gift for that relative or co-worker you forgot. I mean that you totally planned on giving a goodie basket to.

But remember to save a few jars for yourself.

Grab some cheese and crackers and have them ready for later, we’re going to make chutney.

This recipe makes around five half-pint jars of spicy ginger pumpkin chutney, and you can easily double it.

First thing’s first, we’re going to need some roasted pumpkin.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grab a pie pumpkin or a cheese wheel pumpkin.

Cheese wheel pumpkins are my go-to for baking these days. I think they have better flavor than plain pie pumpkins – it’s sweet and a bit nutty. If you can get your hands on a few, I suggest giving them a try. There are so many types of squash and pumpkins you can try.

Roasting a Pumpkin

Two halves of a roasted pumpkin lay face down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. — I love the way the house smells when I’m roasting pumpkins.

Slice the pumpkin in half and lay it cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place the pumpkin on the center rack and roast for 30 minutes or until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork.
Once the pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely cut side down. Once it’s cooled, scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh.
Cut the pumpkin into small wedges, slice the skin from the roasted pumpkin, and cube it into dice-sized chunks.

Preparing the roasted pumpkin for chutney is a bit like preparing a cantaloupe.

Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Chutney

Ingredients:

5 cups cubed, roasted pumpkin
1 apple peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup raisins
½ cup chopped onion
1-2 chili or jalapeño peppers, finely minced and seeds removed
1 tbsp mustard seeds
3 tsp fresh grated ginger or 1 tsp dried ground ginger (make it yourself, it tastes better)
½ tsp salt

Directions:

Spicy ginger pumpkin chutney is cooking in a saucepan on a stove. — I wish you could smell this. Someone needs to invent scratch-n-sniff webpages.

In a large saucepan, add all of the ingredients. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Turn the heat down and simmer the pumpkin chutney.
Continue cooking the mixture until most of the liquid is gone.
As the water from the pumpkin cooks off, you’ll need to stir more frequently to prevent the chutney from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
When it’s finished cooking, the pumpkin chutney will be chunky and mound together on a spoon.

A spoonful of mounded pumpkin chutney is held over the saucepan. — Chutney is ready when it mounds on a spoon.

Chunkier Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Chutney

If you want a chutney with more pumpkin chunks throughout, don’t add the pumpkin right away. Add all of the ingredients, except for the pumpkin, and cook the chutney for 20 minutes. Then add the cubed pumpkin. Continue cooking until the chutney mounds on a spoon, and most of the liquid has cooked off.

At this point, you can let the pumpkin chutney cool and freeze it or eat it fresh. But it’s best to process it via water bath canning. That way, you can enjoy it all year and share it with others.

Unless you’re selfish like me. My chutney, mine. Make your own. Shoo.

Using a Stockpot as a Water Bath Canner

While we’re on the subject of canning, I have to share this with you.

My old canner bit the dust this year. I pulled it out of my pantry and found that the tiny rust spot from last year had grown while it was in storage. It sprung a leak. I really didn’t want to buy another canner.

As much as I love to cook, I’m not a gadget person. I don’t like having a ton of doodads taking up room in my kitchen. Especially things that take up a lot of real estate on my counters or in my pantry. You know, like a 21.5-quart canner.

If it’s going to be in my kitchen, it’s got to serve more than one purpose.

So, I dragged out my biggest stockpot. It’s a big ‘un at 16 quarts. I was using that for most of the canning season. I simply put an old kitchen towel in the bottom before putting in the water and jars. And away I went.

Until I found these awesome silicone trivets, I snapped two together, and it was the perfect sized canning rack for my 16-quart stockpot.

Two expandable silicone trivets are shown. — If you want to avoid purchasing a large canner, use a stockpot with these silicone trivets instead.

When I’m finished canning, I store them right inside the stockpot, and it goes back in the cupboard with the other pots and pans. And now, I have a huge empty spot in my pantry to put more jars of yummy chutney instead of a massive canner.

Preserving Your Spicy Ginger Pumpkin Chutney

Equipment

Water bath canner or stockpot and canning rack or kitchen towel
5 half-pint jars or 10 quarter-pint jars or a mix of the two
Lids and bands for jars
Jar funnel
Bubble remover or chopstick
Jar lifter
Two kitchen towels

Directions

Prepare lids and bands by washing them in warm, soapy water and drying them. Put a doubled-up kitchen towel down on the counter to place the hot jars on when they’re finished processing.

Canning jar lids and bands air dry on a doubled-up kitchen towel. — Keep your lids and bands close to where you are working.

Heat clean jars in your water bath canner by adding enough water to come halfway up the jars and heating them to 180 degrees. You don’t need to boil them; any microorganisms in the jars will be killed off when you process the spicy ginger pumpkin chutney. You’re heating the jars to prevent thermal shock (aka. exploding jars) when you spoon the hot chutney into them.

A hand uses a jar lifter to remove a hot can from the water. — Use your jar lifter to remove heated jars for filling.

When the chutney is ready, remove one jar at a time from the water.

Place the jar funnel in the jar and spoon the hot pumpkin chutney into the jar. Leave ½” (roughly 1cm) of headspace.

A hand is spooning pumpkin chutney from a saucepan into a prepared canning jar. — This part can get a bit messy, so keep a damp cloth handy to wipe up any spills.

You may need to stir the spicy ginger pumpkin chutney in the saucepan a few times as you fill the jars. Any remaining moisture tends to pool if the chutney sits for too long.

Use the bubble remover or chopstick to remove any air bubbles, and tamp the chutney down. I find that holding the jar by the top and giving it a few firm taps on the counter helps too. Top up the headspace if needed.

A hand is shown using a chopstick to remove air bubbles from the hot pumpkin chutney. — When canning, it’s very important to remove air bubbles before processing.

Using a clean damp cloth or paper towel, wipe the rim clean. Now place the prepared lid on the jar, followed by the band. Screw down the band just until it’s fingertip-tight. Place the jar back into the canner.

A hand is shown wiping the rim of the canning jar with a moistened paper towel. — If the rim of the jar isn’t clean, you risk the lid not sealing properly.

Repeat with the remaining jars and pumpkin chutney.

Once all of the jars are filled and returned to the water, add additional hot water until it’s at least 1 to 2″ above the jars’ tops. Place the lid on the canner and turn the heat to high. Bring the canner to a rolling boil, at which point you will start a timer and process the pumpkin chutney for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and remove the lid. Let the jars stand in the water for an additional five minutes.

Using your jar lifter, carefully remove the jars, without tipping them, and transfer the hot jars to the doubled-up kitchen towel.

Several processed jars of chutney are resting on a doubled-up kitchen towel. — To achieve a good seal, it’s important not to disturb the jars or tip them on their side when removing them from the canner.

Let the jars stand undisturbed (it’s okay if there’s water on the lids, it will evaporate) for 24 hours. If your house is cool or drafty, cover them with the other kitchen towel.

You’ll hear that lovely “DINK’ sound as each jar seals.

After 24 hours have passed, check each jar for a tight seal by pressing on the lid. It should be immovable. If the lid moves, that means it didn’t seal, put that jar of pumpkin chutney in the fridge to enjoy right away.

It’s always best to store preserves without the band. Lightly wipe down the jars with a damp cloth to remove any residue from hard water.

Don’t forget to label your jars. I found these fantastic labels by Ball that wash off with water—no more sticky messes left behind on my canning jars. I’ve been using them for all of my preserves as well as labeling my bottles of homemade mead and cider.

Place the jars in your pantry and stand there for a minute like a dragon surveying your hoard.

I love seeing all of my hard work lined up on my pantry shelves, don’t you?

I don’t know what’s better – the taste of homemade pumpkin chutney or the pride of making it yourself.

Of course, you can eat your spicy ginger pumpkin chutney right away, but for the best chutney experience, I would suggest waiting about 3-4 weeks.

Time is also a magic ingredient here, giving all of the individual flavors a chance to get to know one another and create something delightful for your tastebuds.

Trust me; it’s worth the wait.

If you’ve never canned a thing before in your life, relax, my fellow Rural Sprout author, Cheryl, has your back with A Beginners Guide To Get Started Canning & Preserving Food.

And if you’re nervous about canning for the first time, Cheryl will help you tackle this project by avoiding 15 of the Most Common Canning Mistakes.

Once you make a batch of spicy ginger pumpkin chutney, you’ll be making it every year.

And be sure to make a batch a few weeks before Thanksgiving so you can enjoy a jar or two on the big day. Be ready to point family and friends back to this page when they want the recipe. “Oh sure, Aunt Cindy’s pie is good, but have you tried the spicy ginger pumpkin chutney?”

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