Chutney is one of my all time favourite condiments and really easy to make. My brother in law’s mother is the one who got me started, she kept sending jars of lovely of chutney to my mum in Scotland and inspired me to try my own. I think it’s also how i won the houseboy over, I gave him a jar on one of our first dates and he called me back (although i did notice it sitting in his fridge for a long time!)I’m not sure where i came across the original recipe, i have adapted along the way slightly to suit, you can do the same depending on how sweet or spicy you like it.
Ingredients:
• 1 Kilo raw beetroot
• 680g apples
• 235g caster sugar
• 1/2 pint cider vinegar
• 2 large onions -chopped
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
Cook the whole beetroots till tender-taking care if they are various sizes. Drain, cool, then peel & dice into cubes slightly smaller than a dice. Add to the pan along with the sugar, vinegar, onion, ginger and salt & simmer slowly until it reaches the desired consistency. This can take from 60-90minutes. One good test is to draw the back of a spoon through the mixture-if it leaves a track, then generally this means its ready. Pot into sterilised jars (see below for tip) and label with date etc. The chutney should keep for a few months, but remember to refrigerate after opening. I think these make lovely gifts, you can also decorate and personalise the labels to make them extra special.
Jar Tip:
The jars you use need to be clean and warm, there are a variety of ways to do this, but i prefer this simple method; Make sure the jars are clean by washing them in hot soapy water, then as your chutney is cooking, fill them with hot water to warm them. Empty and dry off with a clean tea towel. Bottle up neatly and make sure you use good fitting lids, paper tops are not recommended as the acid in the chutney deteriorates the paper and your chutney will dry out.
YUMMY
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