Mango and tamarind chutney

1/2 c  Dried tamarind pulp; packed
           -or-
    1/2 c  Fresh lime juice; strained
           + 1/2 cup water
  2 1/2 c  ;Water
      3 lb Mangoes*
      1 c  Onions; in 1/4" dice
      1 c  Golden raisins
      1 c  Dried currants
      4 tb Fresh ginger; minced
           -- or more to taste
      3 lg garlic cloves; minced fine
      1    Lemon; grated zest of
      2 c  Light brown sugar; packed
    3/4 c  Sugar
      2 tb Mustard seed
      1 tb Salt
      2 ts Dried red pepper; crushed*
      2 ts Ground cinnamon
    1/2 ts Turmeric
    1/4 ts Ground cloves
    1/4 ts Cayenne pepper
           -- or more to taste
  1 1/2 c  Distilled white vinegar
 
  *Mangoes can be unripe, half-ripe or part unripe and part ripe.
  Using part or all almost-ripe fruit will yield a chutney with a
  softer texture. If you like jammy chutney, cut the fruit into small
  bits; for a chunky product, use 1/2" or larger cubes and stop cooking
  the mixture as soon as the fruit pieces are translucent.
  
  **In place of the crushed dried red pepper, can substitute 2 dried hot
  peppers (each 2 1/2 to 3" long) which have been seeded and crumbled,
  or 1 tb. finely minced red or green fresh hot peppers.  Increase any
  of these if you are sure you want a hotter chutney.
  
  Crumble tamarind into a small bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the
  water; let tamarind soak for at least an hour, meanwhile preparing
  the remaining ingredients.  Or substitute the fresh lime juice plus
  1/2 cup of water at this point.
  
  Peel and dice the mangoes, cutting them into small pieces for a
  jamlike chutney, into 1/2" or larger dice for a chunky mixture. Place
  the pieces in a preserving pan.  Add the onions, raisins, currants,
  ginger, garlic, lemon zest, brown and granulated sugars, mustard
  seed, salt, crushed hot red pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves,
  ground red pepper, white vinegar and the remaining 1 cup water; stir
  the mixture and let it rest until the tamarind "juice" is ready, or
  for up to several hours, if that is convenient.
  
  When the tamarind pulp is very soft, strain the liquid through a
  sieve, pressing it to remove all possible liquid and any pulp that
  will pass through.  Discard the pulp remaining in the sieve.  Add the
  liquid to the chutney mixture.
  
  Set the pan over medium heat and bring the ingredients to a boil.
  Lower the heat so the mixture simmers and cook it, uncovered,
  stirring often, until the mango and onion pieces are translucent and
  the chutney has thickened to the consistency of preserves, 1 to 2
  hours depending on the firmness of the fruit.  (The chutney will
  thicken further in the jar, so don't reduce it too much.)  If the
  chutney threatens to stick before the mango pieces are translucent,
  add a little water.
  
  Remove chutney from the heat, cool a sample, and taste it for
  tartness, sweetness, and degree of hotness.  (The overall flavor is
  elusive at this point, but these factors can be judged.)  If you
  wish, add a little more vinegar, sugar or ground hot red pepper.
  
  Reheat the chutney to boiling and ladle it into hot, clean pint or
  half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" of headspace.  Seal the jars;
  process for 15 minutes (for either size jar) in a boiling-water bath.
  Cool, label, and store the jars for a least a month so that its many
  flavors can blend and balance.  This will keep for at least a year in
  a cool pantry.
  
  Yield: 6 to 7 cups.
  
  From _Fancy Pantry_ by Helen Witty.  New York: Workman Publishing
  Company, Inc., 1986.  Pp. 56-58.  ISBN 0-89480-037-X.  Typed for you
  by Cathy Harned.