A very serious question…..(honestly) 😆

What is the difference between a “pickle”, a “chutney” and a “relish”?

This stems from a discussion between myself and Sue over our curry dinner (and a bottle of Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc) this evening, where we had both “pickles” and “chutneys” on the table.

(Note that we are not discussing “pickled” such as onions, cucumbers, etc, but stuff like the classic Branston vs. Piccalilli etc)

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This is a question where Google is your friend…:nerd_face:

The problem is that drinking crap wine makes you ask questions that really don’t need asking. I’ve always thought that a pickle has solid lumpy bits whereas a chutney is soft and squishy.

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Yeah, that sounds about right. Sue fired up Google, but didn’t get any real insight.
I’d always thought that chutneys are sweeter and less vinegary than pickles.

But as we discussed this evening, the classic Branston Pickle is more sweet and mellow than a pickle; so should Branston really be a chutney?

And where does a “relish” fit in?

It’s important stuff this! :laughing:

Yeah the wine was pretty average but OK, and it’s all we pensioners can afford…….,

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Chutney is chopped fruits and vegetables cooked in a mixture of vinegar and sugar until it thickens.

Pickles are vegetables that are often salted, and sometimes very briefly boiled to sterilise them, but they are not then cooked. They are put into a jar which is filled with vinegar (but no sugar) and often some spices, to preserve them.

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You love your rude responses don’t you HH !

No need for it

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Starting here pickle | Etymology of pickle by etymonline
I had always thought of pickles as something in vinegar, but then you get the lamented Pan Yan, the oversweet Branston. Using the above definition onions when pickled are first brined and then stored in vinegar. What of herrings?
I had always thought of a chutney as a savoury jam whether is contains vinegar or not.
Mention of relish always brings to mind the stomach churning hot dog relish, a chap at college used to make sandwiches squirting that over jam! But if you look up recipes, many seem to be making a very runny small chunk picallili.

Agree with first line, but then you are surely describing “pickled”. Which, again, I agree with, and indeed pickle many veg…mainly chillies!

I’m talking about Pickles such as the classic Branston or that curry restaurant favourite Lime Pickle, or even the more commercial brands - Patak’s Chilli Pickle or Lime Pickle (both of which were on the table this evening, prompting this post-prandial discussion) as opposed to their Mango Chutney (we’ve run out!)

So for the purposes of this discussion, taking a trawl though our cupboard we have
Lime Pickle, Chilli Pickle, Garlic Pickle, Aubergine Pickle, Mango Chutney, Chilli Chutney, Pomegramate & Mango Chutney, and Chilli & Raisin Relish.

They are all (essentially) pieces of fruit/veg in a sticky sauce. So why are they not all “pickles” or all “chutneys”, or even a “relish”.

I think HH is getting himself into a pickle about a wine he doesn’t relish. :thinking:

Chutney best left out of the equation.

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Vinegar surely for the pickles? Acidic and sour.
Mango chutney is more like jam.

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My thinking as well, but, a couple of days ago, I cooked up (from a recipe) a “Dried Fruit Chutney” which included vinegar. (Left to settle/mature, it will be great for Xmas lunch!)

Currently chomping our way through the last of the Date & Rhubarb Chutney that Sue made in 2019 - bl00dy magnificent!

I suspect he simply doesn’t like it, as I don’t think he’d be criticising it on cost alone as he often posts good value suggestions in the wine thread. It may actually be a tongue in cheek comment we’ve misinterpreted!

Alternatively maybe he’s simply pickled and just speaking his mind for a change :rofl:

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Ha ha :joy::+1:

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Isn’t language beautiful though :smiley:

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maybe he meant to suggest that a fine wine had no place alongside pickles or chutneys

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I am so hoping to find my maternal grandmother’s piccalilli recipe - best one I’ve ever tasted.

She had a whole sideboard full of pickles in the front room which also housed a piano and a tiny B&W TV.

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Pickle is a very distinct category of food, a customary name in Britain long before food labelling legislation. It means food that has been preserved in acid, typically either by soaking in vinegar, or by soaking in brine through which lactic acid is produced by chemical reaction. This is definitive. A detailed treatise can be found in Codex Alimentaris STAN 260-2007 published by FAO/UN (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations), which although a standard for pickled fruits and vegetables is generally applicable to other things like picked eggs.

Chutney is less formally defined, and is probably best considered by reference to FAO/UN: Chutneys are thick, jam like mixtures made from a variety of fruits and vegetables, spices, sugar and sometimes vinegar. Any edible sour fruit can be used as a base for chutney to complement the sweet taste from the sugar. The high sugar content has a preservative effect and vinegar is not always necessary, depending on the natural acidity and maturity of the fruits that are used. Most chutneys are boiled, which produces a caramelised syrup and alters the taste, colour and thickness of the product. Boiling also helps preserve the product through pasteurisation.”

I do not think relish as a noun is a customary name in terms of UK food labelling, nor AFAIK does it have an official definition the UK or EU. It is rather a vague term, which I would take to be a condiment made from vegetables, probably either including pickes or including vinegar.

A chutney has fruit and sugar. Pickles are preserved in an acid such as vinegar.

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