"Chutney" is a paste-like seasoning made by boiling vegetables and fruits. At Indian restaurants, it appears as a side dish.


However, an accident occurred in the town of Henry on Thames along the Thames in England, where the chutney exploded and the refrigerator door was blown off. The explosion temporarily pushed up the ceiling of the apartment and cracked the walls of the kitchen. Many British media outlets, such as The Telegraph, have reported.


The Telegraph reported that the explosion occurred in the apartment of Margaret Goodwin, a 66-year-old woman living in Henry on Thames. It is believed that the bottled chutney stored in the refrigerator generated methane gas, leading to an explosion.


The chutney that became the "criminal" of this explosion was the homemade "Rhubarb chutney" that Chris Hackett, who lives in the neighborhood of the apartment where the explosion occurred, gave to Goodwin as a share. It was fresh when it was handed over, but fermentation proceeded and methane gas was generated while it was stored in Goodwin's refrigerator for 5 days. It is said that it filled the refrigerator and caused an explosion.

Additives that suppress fermentation are added to chutneys that are commercially available at supermarkets. However, since no additives are added to homemade chutney, it seems that gas is likely to be generated. Goodwin says that from now on, homemade chutneys should not be stored in the refrigerator or should be eaten immediately after being given.


Goodwin told The Telegraph what happened at the time of the explosion:

"It's hard to believe that a bottle of rhubarb would explode. But if I was in the kitchen at that time, I might have died in the explosion. The sound of the explosion was deafening, even in the bedroom. It was

Goodwin says he has to pay the owner of the apartment to repair the walls and ceiling. But despite that situation, Goodwin said:

"Still, the chutney I got was really delicious."