Alpe Pragas Chutney - Mostarda with Pear and Saffron
The Alpe Pragas Chutney Mostarda Pear and Saffron is a fruity-tart combination of Williams Christ pears, saffron and orange juice, pink pepper, chili and mustard. Gently cooked with only a little sugar and lemon juice, the natural color and aroma of the chutney ingredients are preserved. As a delicate accompaniment, it goes perfectly with cream cheese or young Pecorino, or even excellently with cheese fondue.
- a highlight with cheese and cold meats
- not only sweet, but also spicy and hot
- for refining dishes
- low sugar
- no artificial additives
- no preservatives
- free from colorants
- no artificial flavors
- gluten-free
- vegan
Alpe Pragas from South Tyrol has long been known for its excellent fruit spreads, some of which are made with fruit from their own cultivation. In 2001, to delve into exotic taste worlds, they decided to create a line of chutneys that would do justice to both local fruits and the exotic history of chutney. In collaboration with the award-winning chef and author of several cookbooks, Gerhard Wieser, sophisticated recipes were developed that find a wide and interesting range of applications.
Stefan Gruber does not produce "Mostarda di frutti" in the classical sense; his mostarde are spicy-sweet or sweet-spicy combinations of vegetables, fruits, spices, and mustard powder. His pleasantly hot mostarde pair well with various types of cheese, raclette and fondue, cold meats, or BBQ. They can be used to refine dishes, glaze duck breast or ribs. Thus, they are not only a perfect accompaniment but also an indispensable cooking ingredient. Discover your favorite combination, your food pairing match.
Mostarda – a centuries-old Italian tradition
Mustard fruits – Mostarda di frutta are part of Italy's cultural heritage. They were already mentioned in 1621 in the epic "The Stolen Bucket" by A. Tassoni. At that time, mustard, or "Mostrich" as it was also called, arrived in Italy from France, where it had already become indispensable as a spice in kitchens. If you stroll through the shopping streets in Lombardy in Northern Italy today, you can see the colorful mixed fruits hand-layered into huge decorative jars in the windows of small delicatessens or cheese shops. But they are not just sweet, like candied fruits; no, they are piquant, spicy, hot, thanks to the mustard powder used in their preparation. Mostarda comes in a milder version, as in Cremona or Voghera, but also in a very hot version, as is traditional in Mantua. All kinds of fruits are used, such as oranges, mandarins, cherries, grapes, apricots, pears, and figs. Probably the best-known German manufacturer of Mostarda and fig mustard sauce is the company Barbieri. In terms of consistency, the famous Barbieri sauce, served with cheese, is more of a jelly, as the fruits are pureed for it.
But mustard fruits don't just form a dream pairing with cheese; they also belong in the filling of "Tortellini di Zucca," pumpkin-filled pasta, as well as with Bollito misto. They crown crostini with Parma ham, as well as roast beef or grilled duck breast.
Mostarda production – a complex process
First, the ripe fruit is peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces by hand. Then it is mixed with sugar in a 2 to 1 ratio and left covered for 24 hours. The fruits release juice with the help of the sugar. This juice is then reduced without the fruits. Afterward, it is poured back over the fruits and left covered for another 24 hours. The next day, the procedure is repeated. On the third day, the fruits are cooked gently together with the syrup. Only now is the mustard powder or mustard oil added, as it evaporates when heated.
