Low Carb chutney?

[alisbabe]

Does anyone have any suggestions for making chutney or pickle (preferably tomato chutney) with sweeteners?

Can I just substitue Splenda for sugar in a recipe like this?
http://www.thefoody.com/preserves/redtomatochutney.html

[CheriYM]

I've made a mango chutney (so not really LC) with splenda and it turned out well - maybe not quite as thick/syrupy, but still a good flavor.
Let us know how yours turns out if you try it!

[scott123]

You can swap out splenda for the sugar, but the chutney won't have a sugary texture.

More importantly, though, splenda provides no preservation, so this chutney can't be aged.

Vinegar is a excellent preservative, but it's hard to tell how much is left after cooking (vinegar will boil away with cooking).

I wouldn't keep it any longer than a week in the fridge. It could probably be frozen, though.

[IslandGirl]

In the places of origin, chutneys can be hot or cold, and are usually fresh!

The vinegar/lemon acidity helps preserve, even when cooked. Water-bath canning is still a viable long term storage method, even without "real" sugar. Sugar, salt and acids are all preserving-friendly ingredients. The bulk of vinegar evaporates with boiling, true, but vinegar is (standard) only 5% acetic acid and the rest is water and flavours and (gasp!) some sugars. The acid pretty much remains.

Plus, there's quite a bit of natural sugars in the tomatoes (a fruit, after all) and the malt vinegar to help with the thickening. I'd consider maybe simmering a bit longer, but it seems do-able, just as my sugarless tomato sauce thickens up when simmered.

I'd go ahead and make a half-batch of the tomato chutney, keep one small jar in the fridge that you can use up fairly quickly, and can the rest...

Enjoy the possibilities:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chutney

:wave:

[Nancy LC]

I made some pear pickles once that tasted just like chutney to me. I used splenda.

[alisbabe]

Thanks, plenty of good ideas.

I'll have to crack open the stockpot cupboard and get me some tomatos :)

[scott123]

The acid pretty much remains.

Acetic acid is volatile. 45 minutes will boil away most of the acetic acid, if not all. As far as the other half of the vinegar being 'simmered' until thickened, there's going to be considerable acid loss there as well. The small amount of residual acid in this recipe buys you some preservation but not a great deal. The salt buys you some preservation as well. Without the sugar, though... I wouldn't store it longer than a week.

[IslandGirl]

... The small amount of residual acid in this recipe buys you some preservation but not a great deal. The salt buys you some preservation as well. Without the sugar, though... I wouldn't store it longer than a week.

You do mean "uncanned", don't you?

:wave:

[scott123]

Yes, sorry, uncanned, no longer than a week.