My homemade Fresh Peach Chutney is a versatile, gently spiced condiment that goes perfectly with many foods. When peaches are in season, I like to use them in as many ways as possible. So, if you find yourself with an abundance of fresh peaches, this is a great way to preserve some.
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Why we love this recipe:
Homemade chutney is a real treat and this is a great way to use peaches when they are in season. With jars of this spicy peach condiment on your shelves, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have preserved seasonal fruit to use throughout the year.
As well, when you make something yourself, you have total control over the quality of the ingredients. There will not be any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Just pure, natural ingredients.
There are so many ways to enjoy this Fresh Peach Chutney:
- It perfectly complements roast chicken or grilled pork, works beautifully on a hamburger and is delicious in a toasted cheese sandwich.
- Add it to a ploughman’s lunch platter or serve with antipasto.
- This flavourful, Fresh Peach Chutney also adds a bright note to turkey or beef sandwiches.
This is a versatile recipe; you can adjust ingredients to suit your taste or what you have on hand:
- If you don’t have peaches, you could use nectarines or apricots.
- You could change the spices to suit your taste, perhaps adding some turmeric, garlic or freshly grated ginger.
- If you would like it extra spicy you could add some dried chilli flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Brown or white onions could replace the red onion used.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Fresh peaches – I have used yellow peaches but you could also use white. If possible, choose freestone. As the name implies, the stones in freestone are easily removed as opposed to clingstone varieties where you will need to cut around the stone.
Brown sugar – adds rich colour and flavour to the chutney.
Cinnamon stick – adds flavour and is easily removed when finished.
Yellow mustard seeds – they are milder than the brown variety but still add gentle spiciness.
Ground ginger – this is a warm, gentle spice with a touch of sweetness.
Cloves – we use whole cloves. This is a warm spice with an intense flavour.
Sultanas/golden raisins – these are dried, white, seedless grapes.
Sea salt – use coarse kitchen salt. Do not use table salt; it is very fine and will be too salty.
Long red chillies – these are also known as cayenne chillies.
Apple cider vinegar – made from fermented apple juice.
Granny Smith apples – a slightly tart apple, it perfectly complements the spices.
Medium red onions – these are milder and sweeter than the brown/yellow onion.
Step by step instructions:
To begin, we sterilise the jars. Full details are in the recipe below.
- To make the Peach Chutney, place the peaches into boiling water for 20 seconds.
- Then, place in an ice bath. Peel the peaches, cut them in half, remove the stone and then cut the flesh into large chunks.
- Place the peaches and the remaining ingredients into a large, non-reactive saucepan or stockpot.
- Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the chutney to boiling point and boil vigorously for one hour, stirring from time to time. After one hour, remove the saucepan from the heat and stand for 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
- Remove your sterilised jars from the oven, and whilst they are still hot, fill with the chutney.
- Seal the jars immediately.
- Allow the flavours of the chutney to develop and enjoy.
Equipment Needed:
When making your own preserves, always ensure you are sterilising the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.
- Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts, as these could melt in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and leave the jars for 15-20 minutes.
Use recycled glass jars with metal lids that are in good condition or purchase new ones.
You will not need any special equipment to make this recipe. You need a large, wide saucepan. Avoid aluminium, copper or iron pans; the acid in the fruit may react with the pan, giving the jam a metallic taste.
As well, I use a long-handled wooden spoon to keep my hand away from the bubbling chutney.
Tips for success and FAQs:
To obtain the best flavour from spices, they need to be fresh. Old spices will have lost some of their flavour.
I have used yellow peaches but you could also use white. This Fresh Peach Chutney is best when made with ripe peaches, but you can also use slightly underripe or slightly overripe fruit for this recipe. If the peaches are blemished, just remove the blemishes and imperfections and proceed.
A preserve made with vinegar needs time to mature. Set it aside for a minimum of one week, ideally two-four weeks. This will allow the flavours of the chutney to amalgamate and the vinegar to mellow.
When the jars have been properly sterilised and the chutney prepared according to the recipe, it is shelf-stable for up to one year. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark, dry location. When opened, store the jar in the refrigerator. To prevent bacteria from developing, always use a clean, dry spoon to remove chutney.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We absolutely love making the most of in-season produce to enjoy all year round. Here are some more of our favourite preserve recipes:
- Apricot Jam
- Preserved Chillies in Oil
- Lemon Marmalade
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Grapefruit Marmalade
- Easy Plum Jam
My Fresh Peach Chutney is a great way to make the most of summer’s bounty. You will find many ways to enjoy it. Or, tie a pretty ribbon around the neck of a jar and give some as a gift.
Alex xx
This post was originally published in January 2019. It has been updated with new photos and more information. The recipe remains the same.
Fresh Peach Chutney
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 kg (3.3 lb) peaches See Note 1
- 3 3/4 cups (750 gm) brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 8 whole cloves See Note 2
- 1/2 cup (90 gm) sultanas/golden raisins
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 long red chillies – seeds removed and finely chopped See Note 3
- 3 cups (750 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 2 Granny Smith apples – unpeeled and grated
- 3 medium red onions – finely chopped
Instructions
To sterilise the Jars:
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270F).Use glass jars, either new or recycled, with an airtight, metal lid. If recycling jars, ensure that the jars do not have cracks or chips and the lids are in good condition. Discard any lids that are pitted or rusted. Wash the jars and lids. If washing by hand, use hot, soapy water and then rinse them well. Alternatively, wash them in the dishwasher. Place jars and lids on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for at least 20 minutes. See Note 4.
To make the Chutney:
- To peel the peaches, half fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring it to the boil.Meanwhile, prepare a medium sized bowl of iced water.
- Make a cross incision on the base of the peaches and place them in the boiling water for approximately 20 seconds.
- Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and place in the iced water bath to stop the cooking process.Remove the peach from the iced water when it is cool enough to handle. Use a small, sharp knife to peel the skin. It will easily peel off.
- Cut the peach in half, cutting around the pit using the natural indentation of the peach as a guide. Gently twist the halves in opposite directions to separate them.Carefully remove the pit with a sharp, pointed knife and discard the pit. Remove any bruises.
- Cut the peaches into large chunks. (About 2.5cm or 1 inch)
- Place all the ingredients into a large, non-reactive saucepan or stockpot. See Note 5.Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the chutney to boiling point and boil vigorously for one hour, stirring from time to time. Toward the end of the cooking time, the liquid will have reduced, and you will need to stir the chutney more frequently to avoid it catching and burning.
- Be aware that as the liquid reduces, the mixture may bubble and spit and you need to take great care. I suggest that to be on the safe side, you wear a garment with long sleeves to protect yourself and use a long handled wooden spoon.
- After one hour, remove the saucepan from the heat and stand for 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
- Remove your sterilised jars from the oven, and whilst they are still hot, fill with the chutney and seal the jars immediately.
- When the jars are cool enough to handle, remove any spills on the outside of the jars and label and date the chutney. Store it in a cool, dark, dry location. The chutney will keep for about one year.When removing chutney, always use a clean, dry spoon to avoid spoilage. Being extra cautious, I always store a jar in the fridge once it is opened.
Notes
- This is the weight of the peaches before the stones have been removed. I have used yellow peaches, but you could also use white peaches or nectarines. If possible, choose freestone peaches over the clingstone varieties. As the names imply, the stones in freestone are easily removed but with clingstone, there is a little waste as you will need to cut around the stone.
- You could use ½ teaspoon of ground cloves.
- The long red chillies are also known as cayenne chillies. If you don’t have chillies, you could add dried chilli flakes or cayenne pepper to your taste.
- Properly sterilising your jars is an essential process to remove bacteria that could cause your preserves to spoil. Wash the jars and lids either in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Do not dry them with a tea towel. Place jars and lids on a baking tray. If you are using Kilner jars with rubber seals, be sure to remove the seals before placing the jars in the oven. The dry heat of the oven would damage the seals. Boil the seals separately in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Heat the jars in the oven for at least 20 minutes. When your preserves are ready to bottle, use thick oven mitts or jar tongs to remove the jars. Do not place them on a cold surface as they may shatter. I place mine on a wooden chopping board which I cover with a tea towel. Always sterilise a few more jars than you think you will need. It is better to have too many jars than not enough.
- Non-reactive saucepans are stainless steel, glass or enamel. Aluminium, copper and iron pans are reactive. Acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, may cause the chutney to discolour and take on a metallic taste if cooked in reactive pans.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one whole jar. The nutritional information is an estimate only.Â
This homemade chutney is just fantastic. We picked some early peaches from our tree, and will look forward to making another batch of this later in the season also. It is delicious with cheese.
Hello David, I am delighted that you enjoyed the Peach Chutney and appreciate that you took the time to let me know. It would be very special to use peaches from your own tree! 🙂
Such an easy recipe that produces the most wonderful result – I look forward to enjoying my produce all year round.
Hi Bev, I am so pleased that you enjoyed the Fresh Peach Chutney, thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Just made the peach chutney OMG so yummy , going to have it on my hamburger tonight
Thank you, Christine! 🙂
That sounds delicious!
Hi, I only have the Ball jars with the rubber seal on the lid – can I still make this & maybe water bath process it for 10 minutes? Have already made jam, still have 5 trays of peaches left & wanted to give this a try but am a bit hesitant now (I’m new to the whole thing).
Hoping you’ll have time to respond.
Hi Marita,
Yes – those jars are fine, we don’t use them as we sterilise our jars and then heat them in the oven (not good for the rubber seals 🙂 ), but as long as you sterilise your jars and have them nice and warm to put the hot chutney in to, you’ll be fine. Hope you’ll enjoy this recipe! Kind regards, Alex
Wow!! This tasted incredible! I didn’t have enough peaches so used half nectarines instead and served it with a grilled chicken sandwich the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi Mary, I am glad that you adapted the recipe to use some nectarines as well as peaches. It’s great to make the recipe your own. Thanks for the lovely comments. 🙂
just wondering about the lids.
Most canning jars have the lids with the rubber on them.
What is the reason for not using those lids, What else can you use?
Hi Carolyn, we sterilise the lids, as well as the jars, in the oven and we don’t recommend rubber inserts as they may be damaged by the heat. We often use recycled glass jars which have previously contained honey, jam, peanut butter or similar. If necessary, we purchase appropriate jars from a homewares store. The method used for this recipe will make shelf-stable chutney and no water bath canning process is necessary. Kind regards, Alex. 🙂
Made the peach chutney and will be making another batch. It is delicious. Thank you so
Much for sharing.
Annette, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the peach chutney. Thank you so much for letting me know. 🙂
I will definitely be trying this recipe. I have been given 2kgs of peaches. When making this recipe, is it 1.5kg of peaches that have been peeled and pitted or is this the weight prior to that? Thanks
Hello Louise!
This is the weight prior to them being peeled (we are about to update this recipe and will add a little extra detail in). Really hope you’ll enjoy the chutney! Let us know what you think! Kind regards, Alex
I absolutely love peaches, and your fresh peach chutney is absolutely amazing!
Thank you Mel, it is a lovely condiment. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful idea for peaches this season!This recipe was a great inspiration to me, and I will be making it again. SO delicious!
I am so pleased to hear that Catherine. There are so many ways in which to enjoy the chutney. 🙂
This is so amazing!
Thank you Ingrida for your lovely comments. I do appreciate them. 🙂
This is so lovely.
I love peaches, and this is a great way to make the most of the produce.
That is great, Samantha – thanks for letting me know!