Mango Chutney
Every year early August is reserved for our family camping trip. Our destination is always the same magical place, D. L. Bliss State Park. This pristine spot is located on the western shore just north of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe. In August there are lots of shooting stars and we spend most nights count how many we can see gliding across the sky. Nestled among the pines and firs and huge smooth boulders are over 100 campsites but the best part of course is the beach. There is hiking close by and we usually bring bikes but a majority of the time is spent at the lake. After a quick breakfast we pack a picnic lunch, walk down a short sandy path to the water. Another reason to go in August is the lake is usually warmer( the lake is fed by snow melt) and sitting in an inner tube reading a book is a very pleasant way to spend a couple hours. The best time to paddle or kayak is in the morning before the wind kicks up. In places where the water is shallow it is clear enough to see smooth boulders on the sandy lake bottom as you head around the bend towards Emerald Bay. Lake Tahoe is large and deep. A fun fact is that it holds enough water to cover the entire state by 14 inches!
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
Every year early August is reserved for our family camping trip. Our destination is always the same magical place, D. L. Bliss State Park. This pristine spot is located on the western shore just north of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe. In August there are lots of shooting stars and we spend most nights count how many we can see gliding across the sky. Nestled among the pines and firs and huge smooth boulders are over 100 campsites but the best part of course is the beach. There is hiking close by and we usually bring bikes but a majority of the time is spent at the lake. After a quick breakfast we pack a picnic lunch, walk down a short sandy path to the water. Another reason to go in August is the lake is usually warmer( the lake is fed by snow melt) and sitting in an inner tube reading a book is a very pleasant way to spend a couple hours. The best time to paddle or kayak is in the morning before the wind kicks up. In places where the water is shallow it is clear enough to see smooth boulders on the sandy lake bottom as you head around the bend towards Emerald Bay. Lake Tahoe is large and deep. A fun fact is that it holds enough water to cover the entire state by 14 inches!
Photo by: Lucy Alexander
Our first year we were complete novices, but if we couldn’t set up the tents there is always the car right? Having just purchased tents (one for the kids and one for us). At that time everyone entering the park was required to sign an agreement with the park service that we would put all our food, cooking equipment, and toiletries in our car before we went to sleep because of bears. The first night we heard bears getting into someone’s food. As we lay in our sleeping bags barely breathing the shadow of one very big bear crossed the side of the tent. My husband whispered something about how this wasn’t exactly the most peaceful vacation he had envisioned. The following year our campsite had bear boxes. While we were cooking dinner, we could hear the booming roars of bears calling to each other (or something), from peak to peak, not a very comforting feeling to say the least, but they’re not interested in us, just our food. The bear boxes sat on posts almost 6 ft. high and in the middle of the night, I heard what sounded like a plastic bag being opened. Luckily it was a moon lite night and as I looked out the tent flap I saw a huge bear standing on her back legs, head and shoulders a full two feet above our bear box! Had we not closed the box correctly? She had her nose in a bag of something. She sat down her back to us and dug in. Chris bravely ran out and shut the door to the box, she didn’t move, clearly enjoying the food…he ran back out with his camera and took a picture of her. She had the 5lb bag of Costco trail mix! Luckily that was all she got because the chutney was in there and that would have ruined the trip…
Mango Chutney is another one of those “secret sauces” that you can make once or twice a year and keep in the back of your refrigerator to pull out to add an extra little something your dish. It lasts for months and you will find a lot of different uses for it. I use it along side cheese and crackers and raw veggies, or as a condiment on turkey sandwiches. Others use in chess and chutney sandwiches.
Ingredients and Instructions:
1 ¾ cups of apple cider vinegar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup of white sugar
3 cups of peeled sliced and chopped mangoes
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of whole yellow mustard seeds
½ teaspoon of minced garlic
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper(optional)
½ cup of golden raisins
zest and juice from one lemon
Add vinegar and sugar to large sauce pan and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a low simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. Check the consistency after about 40 minutes. It should be the texture of jam and not be too runny. Can be kept in the back of the refrigerator for a year.