Spicy Apple Chutney

We still had a shed load of apples in the garage (that should be garage load really), left from the trees in the garden. We’d already sickened ourselves of crumbles and pies, so I decided to make something savoury with them instead. And I thought that a chutney would be perfect.

It’s thick consistency and sweet, savoury and warming taste is ideal for this time of year. It would make great gifts to hand out at Christmas (sorry for using the C word so soon) and also great for Christmas dinners and shindigs that you may have coming up.

I used a basic apple chutney recipe but decided to tweak it to suit my taste. It’s called spicy and not spiced because I added chilli flakes to the mix and it really packs a hot punch. If you like it on the milder side though, add less chilli flakes or omit them altogether.

The house becomes ‘aromatic’ shall we say when the chutney is cooking and does linger for a while. It's very vinegarry, but it’s so worth it. Once fully cooled, I transferred it to sterilised jars and popped them in the fridge until we are ready to use them. Gorgeous with some cheese and crackers, I never realised chutney was so easy.

Here’s the recipe.

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Spicy Apple Chutney

by S Vettese November-3-2017

A great way to use leftover apples. This sweet and savoury chutney packs a spicy punch.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Kilos Apples (any variety)
• 750 grams light brown sugar
• 500 grams raisins
• 4 tablespoons mixed peel
• 2 large white onions
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 700 ml malt vinegar

Instructions

Peel, core and chop the apples into cubes and place into a large pan with a thick base.Add the sugar, raisins and mixed peel.Chop the onions and add these too.Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.Place the pan over medium heat and cover. Bring to the boil.Once boiling, turn the heat down so the mix bubbles away, uncovered for around an hour.Stir frequently and when the mix is dark in colour, thick and syrupy the chutney is ready.Allow to cool fully, the chutney will thicken on standing.Place into sterilised jars, seal and fridge until ready to use.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: A few jars worth.