Mending, then making Rhubarb Chutney

It’s just as well that I’m not adverse to a little mending, as it seems to crop up quite frequently in our household.  Some of the stitching on a  few of the hems on our vertical blinds come apart and the little weights had dropped out.  I think that the sun rots the stitching and no doubt the wear and tear of opening and closing does not help at all.  It’s a quick enough job to run them through the sewing machine and put a double row of stitching along the hem line.  The hardest part is unhooking them from the top track and the little chains that hold them all together at the bottom, and that’s Robin’s job.  There, all done, ready to be hung back in place.  I expect this to be an ongoing job, as I know I re-stitched the hems on some not so long ago. 

Slats from vertical blinds needing re-hemming

With that little  job out of the way, it was time to make some chutney.  I’d come across a recipe for rhubarb chutney which sounded quite different.  Our crop of rhubarb is growing very well, so that’s the main ingredient ready.  What else?  Onions, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, mixed spice and ginger – I’ve got all that.  The recipe called for sultanas, but not having any I substituted raisins instead, this small change shouldn’t really make much difference, I hope.  Everything went into the preserving pan and simmered away for about an hour until the mixture reduced and thickened.  The mixture made three jars, and it is rather tasty.  It is so satisfying making this sort of thing, and the benefit is that you know exactly what goes into it. 

My rhubarb chutney

As there is still quite a lot of rhubarb left, I’m going to try another new recipe.  How does rhubarb and orange jam sound?  I’ll let you know when I make it.