Chutney and relish are often used interchangably as condiment terms. The confusion is understandable. Chutneys and relishes are made from mixtures of fruits and vegetables cooked with vinegar and spices, which act as preservatives.The main difference between chutney and relish is in the finished texture.Chutneys are made from very finely chopped or sliced fruits and/or vegetables, which are cooked slowly to produce the characteristic smooth texture and mellow flavour.The finished texture of a relish is usually far more chunky since the ingredients used are cut larger and cooking time is shorter.
elliehen,
Jul 30, 4:40am
There's an ethnic (East and West) and etymological answer too.
CHUTNEY is "a pungent relish made of fruits, spices, and herbs. [Hindi ca n , from c n , to taste.] chutney [ˈtʃʌtnɪ]. n. 1. (Cookery) a pickle of Indian origin."
RELISH "probably came about from the need to preserve vegetables in the winter. Chutney might be considered a type of relish. In India, the country of origin, either vegetables, herbs or fruits are generally included.In the United States, the most common commercially available relishes are made from pickled cucumbers and are known in the food trade as pickle relishes. Two variants of this are hamburger relish (pickle relish in a ketchup base or sauce) and hotdog relish (pickle relish in a mustard base or sauce). Other readily available commercial relishes in the United States include corn (maize) relish. Heinz, Vlasic, and Claussen are well known in the United States as producers of pickles and relishes. One of the best known pickle manufacturers in the UK is Branston."
otterhound,
Jul 30, 4:53am
Thanks everyone=)So really, if a recipe says chutney, but I have a relish that smells "right" for the flavours used, it's fine to use that instead?Had forgotten about pickle, but I guess I don't see that around as much these days - except for Branston, which I always have in the pantry.Could that be used as a chutney?
elliehen,
Jul 30, 4:58am
As winnie231 says, they are often used interchangeably.If you feel it's right, it'll be right :)
juliewn,
Jul 30, 6:08am
Yes to all your questions.. if you like the way it'll fit in whatever you're cooking, go for it.. Any pickle/chutney/relish can be as hot or sweet as you prefer.. and we love them all chunky with lots of texture, so always cut the fruits and veges into larger pieces before cooking..
One of the good things about them all, is being able to alter recipes to suit what you have available, what you want to use, etc.. while staying with similar ratio's of sauce to veges and/ or fruits so a similar balance is achieved.. our favourite pickle is a recipe that's evolved over a couple of decades - it's unrecognisable to the original recipe, and retains the parts of that we love the most..
Other pickles are mustard pickles, pickled gherkins/onions/garlic/walnuts- /capsicums/etc.. etc.. piccalilli, etc..
Enjoy trying out different combinations and mixtures.. :-)
otterhound,
Jul 31, 3:25am
What exactly is the difference between the two!=)
buzzy110,
Jul 31, 3:26am
Relish is 'hotter' whilst chutney is sweeter.
elliehen,
Jul 31, 4:40am
There's an ethnic (East and West) and etymological answer too.
CHUTNEY is "a pungent relish made of fruits, spices, and herbs. [Hindi ca n , from c n , to taste.] chutney [ˈtʃʌtnɪ]. n. 1. (Cookery) a pickle of Indian origin."
RELISH "probably came about from the need to preserve vegetables in the winter. Chutney might be considered a type of relish. In India, the country of origin, either vegetables, herbs or fruits are generally included.In the United States, the most common commercially available relishes are made from pickled cucumbers and are known in the food trade as pickle relishes. Two variants of this are hamburger relish (pickle relish in a ketchup base or sauce) and hotdog relish (pickle relish in a mustard base or sauce). Other readily available commercial relishes in the United States include corn (maize) relish. Heinz, Vlasic, and Claussen are well known in the United States as producers of pickles and relishes. One of the best known pickle manufacturers in the UK is Branston."
otterhound,
Jul 31, 4:53am
Thanks everyone=)So really, if a recipe says chutney, but I have a relish that smells "right" for the flavours used, it's fine to use that instead!Had forgotten about pickle, but I guess I don't see that around as much these days - except for Branston, which I always have in the pantry.Could that be used as a chutney!
elliehen,
Jul 31, 4:58am
As winnie231 says, they are often used interchangeably.If you feel it's right, it'll be right :)
juliewn,
Jul 31, 6:08am
Yes to all your questions. if you like the way it'll fit in whatever you're cooking, go for it. Any pickle/chutney/relish can be as hot or sweet as you prefer. and we love them all chunky with lots of texture, so always cut the fruits and veges into larger pieces before cooking.
One of the good things about them all, is being able to alter recipes to suit what you have available, what you want to use, etc. while staying with similar ratio's of sauce to veges and/ or fruits so a similar balance is achieved. our favourite pickle is a recipe that's evolved over a couple of decades - it's unrecognisable to the original recipe, and retains the parts of that we love the most.
Other pickles are mustard pickles, pickled gherkins/onions/garlic/walnuts- /capsicums/etc. etc. piccalilli, etc.
Enjoy trying out different combinations and mixtures. :-)
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