Nothing is quite so satisfying as making your own apple chutney to see you through the long winter months. Here are three traditional recipes to use up the autumn fruit.
First is an apple chutney recipe from Kent, the Garden of England. It’s usually made from stored apples late in Winter. A lovely, mild chutney, quick to make!
Kentish Apple Chutney
Makes approximately 1.8kg/4lbs
900g/2lbs apples
600ml/1 pint spiced pickling vinegar (make your own or available from supermarkets)
450g/1 lb sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
125g/4oz preserved ginger
325g/12 oz sultanas
Directions:
First prepare jars. Jars with vinegar-proof lids are needed, i.e. coffee jars with plastic lids are ideal. Wash the lids and jars. Plastic lids can be sterilised by placing in store-bought sterilising fluid. Jars can also be sterilised using sterilising fluid. Read product instructions. If using the oven sterilising technique, metal lids can be put in the oven with the jars. Lay the clean jars and metal lids to warm in very cool oven, Gas ¼, 225°F, 110°C. Whilst they are sterilising:
Peel, core and dice apples
Put vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice into large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved
Add pieces of diced apple, simmer for ten minutes
Chop ginger into very small pieces and add to pan with sultanas.
Simmer until chutney thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. (It is thick enough when you draw a spoon through mixture, it leaves a trail and does not immediately fill up with liquid. )
Let the chutney cool, remove jars from oven and fill them with chutney.
Cover with waxed paper discs (waxed side down)
Allow to cool completely
Screw on lids, then label with name and date
Store in a cool dark place.
Give it six weeks to mature before eating. So good eating your own home made product!
The beauty of making chutney is that you don’t have to reach a ‘setting point’, unlike jam!
Shropshire Apple Chutney
A little bit spicier than the Kent version and absolutely gorgeous!
Makes 2.2 to 2.7 kg/5 to 6 lbs
2 kg/4 ½ lbs apples peeled and cored
900g/2 lb solft brown sugar
675g/1½ lbs onions, chopped
1.2litres/2 pints malt vinegar
675g/1½ lb sultanas or raisins
25g/1 oz ground ginger
15g/½ oz garlic crushed
25g/1 oz mustard seed
7g/quarter ounce cayenne pepper
Directions:
Prepare jars as for Kent Apple Chutney recipe.
Cut apples into small pieces and put in a large pan with sugar, onions and vinegar
Bring to boiling point and simmer until pulpy
Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes (or until thick - testing for thickness as in the Kent Apple Chutney recipe)
Bottle and cover with waxed paper discs (waxed side down). Leave until cold.
Cover with vinegar-proof lids.
Label and store in cool, dark place.
Apple and Raisin Chutney
This variation on the chutney theme doesn't keep as well as the other two as the vinegar content is lower. But that's ok because it's so delicious that it'll be gone before you can say, "Pass the cheese"!
Makes approx. 2.7kg/6 lbs
2.25 kg/5 lbs apples
Juice and finely chopped rind of 2 oranges
125g/4 oz chopped walnuts or almonds
900g/2 lbs granulated sugar
275g/10 oz raisins
One third teaspoon ground cloves
100 ml/4 fl oz distilled vinegar
Directions:
Prepare jars as for Kentish Apple Chutney
Peel and core apples, cut into small pieces
Prepare oranges and nuts
Combine ingredients in a pan, stir well and simmer with lid on until tender
Remove lid and simmer, stirring often until chutney is thick. (Test for thickness using method for Kentish Apple Chutney)
Fill warm jars nearly to brim with hot chutney.
Put lids on immediately
Label and date the chutney, mentioning nut content in case anyone has allergy.
The copyright of the article Three Traditional Fall Apple Chutney Recipes in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Kathleen Duffy. Permission to republish Three Traditional Fall Apple Chutney Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.