What Happened To The Local Loquats? Part 2

Loquat Adventures

Before I leave town, loquat butter in tow, I have another little confession, another little loquat adventure to report.

This second loquat adventure comes by stages.

From the original loquats, harvested from my mother's tree, I made the, so far, ill-fated subject of yesterday's post, loquat butter, the little food orphan that is about to be packed up and sent straight off to Carrisa, (there will be more to report, no doubt), AND I made from the same harvest, a batch of loquat chutney, seasoned with lemon, lemon rind, raisins, cumin, coriander, green peppercorns, thyme, and fennel seed, which I set out on the counter to ferment (yes!) for two days.

THE INEXACT ART/SCIENCE OF CHUTNEY MAKING

First Taste:  The first day, the day I make it, the chutney tastes a bit raw to me and not too exciting.  I add the probiotic culture and let it set for a day or so on the kitchen counter.

Next Taste:  The taste has improved.  It is a bit better, in fact, but I don't like the texture.  I unpack it and chop it up good in the food processor with an S-blade.  That helps a lot.  I repack it into the jar and let it set out on the counter.

Next Taste:  There is still something missing.  I take chopsticks and stir red pepper flakes, that I was already dubious about adding, into the mixture, and since the chutney has already spent quite a lot of time out on the kitchen counter, and the weather has been quite warm which speeds up the process, I decide to put the jar into the fridge.

Next Taste:  After about 5 days in the fridge the flavor of the chutney is mellowing and settling in. Interestingly, it is the addition of the red pepper flakes that seems to have turned on the flavor.

Sorry I did not take more photos, but, I was never convinced that this would become the subject of a blog post!

So now that the loquat chutney is sufficiently interesting to get my attention - what am I going to do with it?

You will probably think that my next confession, goes beyond mere food fascination, and borders on downright food mania, (it does), but I already have my favorite Grindstone Bakery gluten free baguette, baked Monday, in fact, on the way, shipped to the same destination that I will be arriving at in a day or two and where I intend to marry it up, the toasted baguette, that is, with a slice of tart and slightly warm goat cheese, topped with, you guessed it, spicy loquat chutney, of coarse, for a totally non-tomato, totally non-garlicky, totally non-traditional bruschetta!  Sounds like a date!