Mango chutney canning recipe

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Today I'm sharing my tried and true mango chutney canning recipe. This delicious old-fashioned chutney recipe brings together inexpensive, traditional ingredients with a hint of mild spice everyone will enjoy.

An open jar of mango chutney on a tray surrounded by canned jars of mango chutnet

Where we live, in tropical Queensland, Summer means mangos! We can only get them in abundance at one time of the year, so of course I buy up as many as I can from roadside stalls and at the supermarket.

I love to capture the flavour of the season by preserving mangos with my simple mango chutney canning recipe.

This chutney pairs well with lamb, pork, chicken and salads and makes the most amazing addition to a ham and cheese toasty.

Try it with my air fryer lamb chops!

In this blog I'll show you how to make mango chutney and preserve it using the water bath canning method.

When making high-acid foods such as chutney, jam and relish, you can use the water bath canning or preserving method to ensure a vacuum-tight seal on your jars and avoid food spoilage. For more information on water bath canning visit the Ball Mason Jars website.

Ingredients

mango (ripe)
onion
sugar - I like to use white or raw sugar because it's cheaper, but you can use any type
vinegar - again I like to use white vinegar because it's cheaper, but you can use any type
mixed spice
ground cloves
mustard seed
curry powder
nutmeg
salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

common kitchen equipment such as a chopping board, knife, wooden spoon and measuring utensils
large stock pot with a lid and rack, or a water bath canner
large saucepan
canning jars
canning lids
wide mouth funnel
jar lifter
ladle

How to can mango chutney

Step one: Sterilise the jars and lids

Wash the jars and lids well in very hot soapy water and rinse. You could also use a dishwasher on the hottest setting.

Place the lids on a clean tea towel, or kitchen paper towel, and allow to air dry. Avoid touching the inside of the lids.

Place the jars on a baking tray and place it in the oven. Set the oven to 110 degrees Celsius (248 Fahrenheit). Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the jars for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes turn off the oven and keep the door closed, allowing the jars to stay warm in the oven while you make the chutney.

A tray of jars being place on a tray in the oven to be steralised

Step two: Prepare the ingredients

Chop the mango into 1.5 cm (half inch) pieces.

Mango is being chopped for the mango chutney canning recipe

Hint: I like to do my chopping and cooking on separate days to break the job down into more manageable size chunks. Simply freeze the chopped ingredients until you're ready to cook with them.

Chopped mango is ready to make mango chutney

Dice the onion.

Onion is being chopped for the mango chutney canning recipe

Step three: Cook the chutney

Place the mango and onion into a large saucepan mix well.

Chopped mango and onion in a large saucepan mixed with a wooden spoon

Next add the sugar and vinegar. Mix well.

Vinegar and sugar is added to the mango and onion mixture

Finally add the salt and spices and mix well.

Mango chutney canning recipe ingredients combined in a large saucepan ready to be cooked

Place the saucepan on the stove, secure the lid and bring the mixture to the boil over a high heat, stirring occasionally.

Once boiling, remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium-high, and boil for about one hour or until the mixture has thickened. Make sure you continue stirring so the sugar doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.

Mango chutney in a large saucepan beginning to boil

You may need to reduce the heat as the mixture reduces, so that you don't have too much splatter over the side of the pan.

Step four: Prepare the water bath

Meanwhile, fill a large stock pot with water, place it on the stove and bring the water to the boil. There needs to be enough water in the pot to cover the height of your jars by at least 5 centimetres or a couple of inches.

Filling the water bath stock pot with tap water

Once boiling, turn the heat off, but leave this water hot and covered and bring the water back to a simmer when your chutney is almost finished cooking.

Step five: Fill the jars

When the chutney has finished cooking, use a wide mouth funnel and ladle to carefully fill the jars leaving 1.2 cm (½ inch) head space.

Filling the sterilised jars with hot mango chutney using a label and canning funnel

Head space is the space between the level of the filling and the top of the jar.

Holding the jar carefully (it will be hot), gently tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles caught in the mixture, then wipe the rim and thread of the jar with paper towel to clean off any spilled chutney.

Wiping the rim of a jar filled with mango chutney with a piece of kitchen paper towel

Once filled, seal immediately with the lids. If using a two-pice lid, first secure the lid and then the band.

Adding the lid to the jar of mango chutney

The lids should be 'fingertip' tight. Don't over tighten them or this may interfere with the sealing process.

Adding the lid ring to the jar of mango chutney

Step six: Process the jars in the waterbath

Once all the jars are filled and sealed, place a rack into into the bottom of the stock pot of boiling water, then using the jar lifter, carefully lower the jars onto the rack.

Placing a rack in the water bath stock pot

Placing a jar in the water bath stock pot using a jar lifter

Secure the lid and bring the water back to the boil.

The lid is placed on the water bath stock pot

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the water to ensure it remains boiling.

Water boiling during processing canning of the mango chutney in the water bath

If for some reason the water stops boiling, turn the heat up and once boiling again, restart the processing time (10 minutes).

Step seven

After boiling for 10 minutes, carefully remove the jars using a jar lifter and place them on a tea towel to cool. Leave the jars undisturbed for 24 hours to ensure they seal correctly.

Lifting a jar of canned mango chutney out of a water bath with a jar lifter

Jars of mango chutney after processing cooling on a tea towel

Step eight

After 24 hours inspect the lids to ensure the jars have sealed. There should be no flex when the centre for the lid is pressed. You can now retighten two piece lids if the bands are loose.

Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use immediately.

Storage

Store the properly sealed jars in a cool dark place for up to 12 months.

Top tips

Buy mangos when they're in season at the best price and chop and freeze them until you're ready to make chutney.

If you're short on time, purchase pre-chopped onion from the freezer isle of your grocery store.

FAQ

Can chutney be canned?

Yes. Most chutneys can be canned using the water bath method in this recipe.

What can you have with mango chutney?

Mango chutney is delicious served with lamb, chicken or pork, and with curries and stews, on salads and sandwiches.

Is mango chutney healthy?

Mango chutney should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet as it does contain a fair amount of sugar as a preserving agent.

What I like about homemade mango chutney is that by adding just a little bit to a healthy salad or sandwich, you can really enhance the flavour.

How long to cook mango chutney?

It takes about one hour to cook mango chutney, plus preparation, water bath processing and cooling time.

Should mango chutney be refrigerated?

You should store any jars of mango chutney that don't seal properly in the refrigerator and use immediately.

Once opened, chutney should be stored in the fridge and is good for about two to three months.

Can mango chutney go off?

Yes, once opened and exposed to the air and other contaminants, mango chutney can become unsafe to eat after about two to three months in the refrigerator, and much more quickly at room temperature.