Three Traditional Fall Apple Chutney Recipes

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!

• 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:

1. 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:
2. Peel, core and dice apples
3. Put vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice into large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved
4. Add pieces of diced apple, simmer for ten minutes
5. Chop ginger into very small pieces and add to pan with sultanas.
6. 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. )
7. Let the chutney cool, remove jars from oven and fill them with chutney.
8. Cover with waxed paper discs (waxed side down)
9. Allow to cool completely
10. Screw on lids, then label with name and date
11. 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!

A little bit spicier than the Kent version and absolutely gorgeous!

• 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:

1. Prepare jars as for Kent Apple Chutney recipe.
2. Cut apples into small pieces and put in a large pan with sugar, onions and vinegar
3. Bring to boiling point and simmer until pulpy
4. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes (or until thick - testing for thickness as in the Kent Apple Chutney recipe)
5. Bottle and cover with waxed paper discs (waxed side down). Leave until cold.
6. Cover with vinegar-proof lids.
7. Label and store in cool, dark place.

Leave to mature for three months before using.

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"!

• 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:

1. Prepare jars as for Kentish Apple Chutney
2. Peel and core apples, cut into small pieces
3. Prepare oranges and nuts
4. Combine ingredients in a pan, stir well and simmer with lid on until tender
5. Remove lid and simmer, stirring often until chutney is thick. (Test for thickness using method for Kentish Apple Chutney)
6. Fill warm jars nearly to brim with hot chutney.
7. Put lids on immediately
8. Label and date the chutney, mentioning nut content in case anyone has allergy.
9. Store in a cool, dark place.