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Mrs H.S. Ball's

Mrs H.S. Ball's chutney is an iconic South African chutney. It comes in 8 flavours to date, and is a favorite in South African households as an accompaniment to a variety of foods.



History

Mrs H.S. Ball’s Chutney was first made by Amelia Ball nee Adkins. She was married to Herbert Saddleton Ball and in the manner of the time was known as Mrs H.S Ball. Mrs Ball and her sister Florence received the recipe from their mother. It all began in 1852 when Henry James Adkins and Elizabeth Sarah Spalding were married in King Wiliam’s Town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They then started to run a general dealership in a near-by village where they settled. Around 1872 is when Sarah Adkins began making chutney on a commercial scale. With no marketing know-how she gave it the eponymous name “Mrs Henry Adkins Senior, Colonial Chutney Manufacturer, Fort Jackson, Cape Colony.” The Adkins had eleven children, and Amelia born in 1865, was one of four girls. Amelia learnt the recipe from her mother while growing up along with her sisters. Amelia then got married to Hebert Saddleton Ball, who was a superintendent on the railways. They moved to Johannesburg, upon Mr. Balls transfer, taking the trusted recipe with them, and upon Mr. Ball’s retirement off it went too to Cape Town in 1921.

The Balls settled in Fish Hoek where Mrs H.S. Balls began to make chutney on a home industry scale. Ironically her sister Flo was also making chutney using the very same recipe, a cause of strife at the time, being in direct competition with each other. Mr. Ball was roped in the operation and he would take a few bottles into Cape Town by train in order to sell. On one of these trips he met a food importer by the name of Fred Metter. Mr. Metter was enthused by the product and started marketing it and his efforts were so good production could not meet demand in the Fish Hoek house. To keep up they moved to bigger premises and they had to do this three times, expanding each time. They eventually located the factory in Diep river, still in the Western Cape, SA Mrs Balls youngest son sold his share of the family business to Mr. Metter who doubled his marketing efforts and soon the factory couldn’t meet demand yet again. They moved the factory one last time to Retreat to capitalize on their popularity. The business still remained a family affair with Mrs. Ball’s other sons, brothers Harry, Harold and Ernest retaining their share. At this time it still only had one flavour, Original. Harry thought liked thing a little hot and he used to crush chilli’s into his, and Hot was born. Soon after this, Metter decided to experiment with a milder sweeter flavour and Peach came about. The remaining shareholders then sold the company when they were getting on in years, to a company called Brook Bond Oxo, who proceeded to sell it to Unilever Foods, who own the brand to this day. Mrs. Ball died on 20 November 1962 at the age of 97. She was buried in Muizenberg, where her grave can still be visited today.

The Recipe

This recipe will make 18 bottles of (mild)Original chutney

612 g dried peaches 238 g dried apricots 3 litres brown wine vinegar 2 1/2 kg white sugar 500 g onions 120 g salt 75 g cayenne pepper 1 to 2 litres of brown wine vinegar for soaking About 2 litres of brown wine vinegar for mixing

The fruit should be left in the soaking vinegar overnight, then cooked in the same vinegar until soft. Drain. Put the fruit through a mill. Add the sugar (dissolved) and onions (minced) and cook in a pot with the brown wine vinegar. The amount of vinegar depends on the consistency: it should not be too runny or too thick, but have the same consistency as the end product you find in the bottle. Add spices and cook for one to two hours. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Sterlise your bottles and spoon in the mixture. That's it - you've got Mrs Ball's Chutney.

To make the chutney hot, add 75 g chopped chillies.

To make peach chutney, omit the apricots and use 850 g dried peaches instead.

Flavours

Mrs Ball’s chutney comes in a variety of flavours which are listed below. There is one that will suit every taste and occasion. Each has its own flavour while staying true to the essence of the flavour that was passed down to Mrs Ball by her mother in the secret recipe.

Original Mild

This is the mildest of the chutney range. It is faithful to the original recipe and has a lot of character and a well bound attractive palate. It is a favourite with children due to its sweetness and unmistakable flavour.

Peach

This flavour is very mild, with a tart vinegar kick to it and a mild caramelised flavour. In it there are tiny chunks of peach to enhance the depth of flavour and to add to the texture.

Hot

This flavour has a taste that belies its name. It has a mild flavour and is less sweet than the original recipe. It is not as hot as the name suggests and has a uniquely enjoyable taste.

Chilli

This flavour is not very sweet and has a smooth body with the extra ‘bite’ of a chilli sauce

Extra Hot

This chutney dial up the heat, but still has all the marked elements of a true chutney. The heat is not overpowering and is for those who savour spicy food.

Tomato

This flavour has strong elements of chutney with a distinct tomato flavour.

Light – Hot Spicy

This flavour is tangy and fruity and contains less fat than the Hot flavour for those who are health conscious

Light-Mild Spicy

This flavour is sweet and fruity and contains less fat than its original mild counterpart.

Common uses as an accompaniment

Chutney is commonly used as an accompaniment for a variety of dishes usually one with meat. It can be used to cook in stews or as a marinade before a braai. It goes beautifully when mixed with butter and garlic and put over a steak or grilled potato! It can be substituted for apple sauce with roast park or with lamb instead of mint jelly and turkey instead of cranberry sauce. It can be also had on bacon and eggs or simply as a dip. The beauty of chutney is that there are a myriad of choices to suit the palate of every food lover.