Down to Earth Organic Chutney - Sweet Mango product reviews

I have seen the Down to Earth sweet mango chutney on the shelf at my local supermarket and have wanted to try it. I love mangos as a fruit so thought this would be amazing. I think it would definitely work with some things really well, like a strong cheese, but I found the cardomon aroma to be very strong and on its own or with something plain like a cracker, it's sweetness would be over powering. I love the branding on the label. It looks very eye catching with a simple design which stands out from the rest on the shelf. The glass jar is great too and recyclable.

I used in a platter when we had some people over for dinner. Those who had a sweet tooth loved it and seemed to put it on everything. They even asked me to bring it back out to have on their scotch fillet at dinner. Another way I used it was as an addition with poached pears for a desert. It worked quite well for something a little different.

I would definitely recommend this to someone with a sweet tooth or someone who loves cinnamon and cardamom flavours. I'd definitely consider buying this again with desserts in mind, but as a condiment or snack I think I'd prefer something a bit saltier or sour or maybe something with a bit of spice.

I wanted to try the down to earth sweet mango chutney because I really like mango as it is one of my favourite fruits and I haven't tasted mango chutney before so I wanted to try it, the texture of the mango chutney is very similar to the consistency of jam or other spreads that I enjoy with little chunky bits which I assume to be mango flesh.

The smell can only be described as cinnamony with a hint a tropical fruity scent and I had very high hopes for this mango chutney because I was really hoping to be able to taste at least a little bit of tartness but there was just an overly sugary taste which I was not a fan of and I was let down when none of the other ingredients were coming through but other than that it was pretty nice and tasty.
The design of the jar was very aesthetically pleasing and I personally like art so the design is everything to me. I found the green was a very lovely colour and the shades and contrasts were just right. I always enjoy the little illustrations on the jars as it adds a little fun to the design.

Overall I would not purchase in the future as it was too sweet and it did not have any saltiness or sourness to it as it says in the description of this chutney. Despite this, I would still recommend this to people who have a sweet tooth or just want to have a very sweet twist to a dish. I do like this chutney it just doesn't have the wow factor to stand out against other brands.

As with the other chutney jars we had extreme issues with opening the jar, I found this one more so than the others. I was also concerned, like the pineapple and garlic flavours the contents would spill out upon opening but was rather surprised at how much firmer this one seemed and didn't contain any running liquid. Instead it seemed to be the same consistancy as jam.

Taking a smell I was more surprised at the cardamon and hints of cinnamon smell and I didn't pick up the fruity mango scent at all. Taking a small teaspoon I would of sworn I was eatting a clove before the sweet mango flavour kicked in.

I had brought ham steaks with intention of making Hawaiian Ham Steaks but when opening the pantry I realised I had no pineapple. So good old kiwi ingenuity set in and decided along with the melted cheese I would use a spoonful of this instead. Worked like a dream, actually I was a little careful with my spoonful and in retrospect I could of used more. It was a hit with the kids and they have asked if could always do this way.

As its the school holidays, meals are rather care free and toast, wraps and crackers are usually on the lunch menu. This week we have had some left over steak, chicken and ham and along with chutneys, lettuce and cheese I pull everything out and let the girls do what they want. I personally have found spreading on the wrap, is like a jam and clumps in areas so just need to spread around to get a more even cover. The rest of the flavours and this works perfectly and its a nice, light, summery meal.

I think over all I do prefer the garlic or the pineapple flavour over this one and where as this is nice I can not see me buying again. I just do not think its as fruity as I would of liked. I notice when given options everyone seems to reach for other flavours and if forced this is the last one people choose.

I have tasted many variations on the sweet mango theme over the years, including a home-crafted version that I made myself, but this chutney is quite unique. It lacks the cloying sweetness of many commercial varieties yet still manages to taste of the fresh fruit. We were having one of those combination meals with two close friends, the sort where different foods come together as all the leftovers get used up! We had roast vegetables and a small amount of meat left from the previous evening's dinner, and to this we added freshly cooked silver beet and pan fried prawns with eggs Thai style. Normally I would saute the fish and eggs in butter and tamarind sauce, but decided to use the sweet mango instead.

To say this was successful would be an understatement. Mangos are a little sweeter than tamarinds, but it did not seem to matter - the result was just as good if not better. They were great with the silver beet, and were perfect with the other vegetables as well. I was quite pleased with myself when our friends congratulated me on my choice of chutney, and passed the jar round so they could read the label for themselves.

In fact, the flavour was hard to define. Cardamom was a strong rival for the mango although the actual quantity of the former was not displayed on the label. The result was pretty well a fusion of the two flavours with the best of both emerging, however, so the relative quantities did not really matter. (There was also some cinnamon in the mix, but I could not taste that at all.)

A couple of days later, we were with another couple of friends who suggested we have cheese rolls for lunch - a specialty in this part of the world. They usually serve a pickle or chutney alongside, so I suggested they try the sweet mango. Again it was highly successful, providing an interesting extra to complement the cheese and onion flavours of the rolls. Only a little was needed to completely change the flavour and provide that extra zing.

That evening we were intending to have cold meat and salad, so serving it with a good dollop of chutney was a no-brainer. The ham was chunky, cut straight from the bone, and the slight sweetness of the meat found a perfect match in the mango and spice flavour of the chutney. I am not a great fan of ham, but this combination was much nicer than most and I ended up having a second helping, much to my surprise.