Persimmon and Pomegranate Chutney

Lately, sharon fruit (kaki, persimmon) have been really cheap and I bought lots of them because we like them. At one point, there were about a dozen of them at various stages of ripeness and I knew something had to be done to prevent the ripest ones from going off. I've only once made chutney before so needed to consult the internet for recipes. I thought that if I couldn't find a good recipe for sharon fruit chutney, I could use a mango chutney recipe. Luckily, there were quite a few recipes out there and I ended up concocting my own mix. There were also two pomegranates and a mango that needed using up so I added them. Though next time, I think I'll add the pomegrante seeds towards the end so they don't disintegrate. We've already eaten some of the chutney because there wasn't enough left for a full jar and even before its 8-week marinating period it tasted pretty nice. I can't wait to see what it's like at the end of February.

10 sharon fruit
1 fibreless mango (optional)
2 pomegranates
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
12 cardamom pods
1 large red chilli
4 red onions
10 limes
1 grapefruit
sherry vinegar
700 g demerara sugar

1. Chop the fruit into cubes and remove the seeds from the pomegranates. Finely chop the onions.

2. Juice the limes and the grapefruit and add enough sherry vinegar to make 600 ml of liquid.

3. Dry fry the spices in a pan and mince in a mortar.

4. Pour the lime/grapefruit/vinegar mix into a saucepan, add the sugar and spices and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Add the fruit and onions and bring to the boil. Then simmer covered for 2 hours. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour until the chutney has a nice thick consistency.

6. Pour into sterilised screw top jars. Put on the lids, place into a saucepan with boiling water and boil for 15 minutes. Leave to rest in a cool dark place for 8 weeks.