Every year our apples fall from the tree too soon, heaps of them. Most are unusable due to insect damage and end up in the compost but most years I manage to salvage some. This year I decided to make some chutney.
I adapted a recipe on the Good Food website to what I had in stock, using Melfor vinegar instead of cider vinegar, demerara sugar instead of light muscovado and a mixture of raisins and sultanas. You could also add other spices than just ginger: maybe cinnamon or even curry powder.
Peeling and chopping so many apples is not my favourite pastime so I've given it two stars for the amount of tedious work but it's a delicious chutney. It goes well with our new favourite French cheese - Laguiole, which is not dissimilar to a strong cheddar and can usually be found amongst the Cantal cheeses as it’s from the same region of France.
I'm sure it would go equally well with pork pie, sausage rolls and cold meats.
It’s ready for eating straight away but can be left to "mature" for a few weeks.
There was such a huge quantity of ingredients that I had to cook mine in two separate pans, dividing them equally between the two. Interestingly, one lot cooked quicker than the other, the wider, flatter pan finishing first by several minutes!
I remembered a tip from, I think, a James Martin recipe on how to tell if your chutney is ready. It should be nice and thick and when you drag your spoon through it there should be a clear trail which only fills with liquid very slowly. If it refills immediately cook for longer, in five minutes intervals.
At the time of writing you can see the original recipe here. The comments suggest it’s a very popular and successful recipe and there are interesting tips and ideas.
Ingredients
1.5 kg cooking apples (prepared weight) I had about 1.7kg.
750g demerara sugar
500g mixed raisins and sultanas
2 medium white onions
2tsp mustard seeds
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp salt
700ml Melfor or cider vinegar
Method
Put all of the ingredients into a large saucepan (or divide equally between two), bring to the boil gently then simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thick and ready (see picture above). Stir frequently and adjust the heat so that that the chutney doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
While the chutney is cooking sterilise eight suitable jars by washing in hot soapy water. Rinse well and put jars and lids on a baking sheet in the oven set at 140°C for 20 minutes.
Allow the chutney to cool then fill your jars and seal tightly. Once opened they should be kept in the fridge.
Makes 6-8 jars of chutney.
This is one to keep and try! Thank you
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