These mouth-watering delights will quickly become essential in any kitchen. A heady combination of fresh fruits or vegetables with spices, herbs, vinegars, sugars, and dried fruits are chopped small and cooked until you they reach a jam-like consistency. They’re rich and flavorsome, and they’ll add a special touch to any meal.
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This is one of the first chutneys I ever made. Enjoy with a good curry or sizzling shrimp.
1 medium red onion (peeled)
1 lb. cooking apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
2 large garlic cloves (crushed)
1 small red chile (diced)
1 tsp. ginger root (freshly sliced)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 lb. mango (peeled, pitted, and chopped)
3/4 cup granulated fructose
3 1/2 tbsp. dry cider (optional)
Thinly slice the onion and chop the apples. Add all the ingredients to your pan (except the mango, sugar, and dry cider); combine the ingredients and cook on a medium heat for about 10 minutes.
The mixture should start to get thick and juicy (stir frequently to prevent the chutney burning — especially in the first 5 minutes). Then add the chopped mango for approximately 5 minutes.
Once your 15–20 minute cook has finished, add the sugar and dry cider; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Crank up the heat and cook for another 15–20 minutes (watch your pan carefully; it should only simmer). The chutney should be quite thick and your mangoes should be soft but not squishy. Always taste your chutney before canning. If required, add additional spices for your personal taste. Spoon into sterilized jars. Use within 12 months.
Makes 1 lb. 3 oz.
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Roasting fruits for chutneys intensifies both the flavor and color of the chutney. I love trying out unorthodox ways of making preserves, and this one is made in the oven.
1 1/4 lbs. plums (halved and pitted) 1/2 lb. apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
3/4 lb. onion (peeled and quartered)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups light brown muscovado sugar
1 cinnamon stick (broken in half)
2 star anise
1/2 tsp. roasted and crushed coriander seeds
1/4 tsp. yellow mustard seeds
10 cardamom pods (crushed)
1/2 tsp. crushed chili flakes
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a roasting pan, alternating between plum, apple, and onion. This will make sure that they will cook together, and the flavors will mingle together (make sure they are in lines and not on top of each other). Then pour the vinegars over the mixture and sprinkle the sugar on top. Add half the cinnamon at each end, along with the star anise. Sprinkle the other spices over the mixture. Place in the oven for approximately 1 hour; remove and check. It should be glossy and syrupy.
This recipe can take up to 3 hours to cook. You’re looking for lovely soft fruit and onions in thick, glossy syrup. Remember that when this mixture cools, the syrup will be a lot thicker, so keep checking every so often to make sure it’s not burning. If there is still too much liquid after 1 1/2 hours, drain the juice and reduce on the stove until thick and syrupy. Then add the syrup mixture back to the fruity mixture and cook until the syrup thickens. Spoon the chutney into clean, cool sterilized jars and seal. Mature for at least 2 weeks before serving.
Makes 1 lb. 6 oz.
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This is a must-have recipe for the holiday season. The marriage of popping cranberries and apples make this a sublime chutney; serve with an array of holiday treats. You could also make this as a Christmas gift in a basket with cheese and crackers.
3/4 lb. tart apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
3/4 lb. cranberries
2 medium red onions (thinly sliced)
zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 large garlic clove (crushed)
1 tsp. ginger root (sliced thin)
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup light brown muscovado sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 1/2 tbsp. mulled wine
Add the apples, cranberries, onions, orange juice, zest, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon stick to a large pan. Cook on a medium heat with a lid on for approximately 10–15 minutes; it’s important to keep the lid on because the cranberries jump out of the pan when they are popping!
Once the cranberry skins are soft, add the sugar, vinegar, and mulled wine; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cook the chutney until it resembles a thick jam. Add the flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and then spoon the chutney into cooled sterilized jars and seal. Store for a couple of weeks before opening.
Makes 2 lbs. 3 oz.
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Pumpkin for me is the champion of the vegetable world; its golden flesh makes a beautiful chutney. Serve alongside roast lamb and butterbean purée.
1 lb. 8 oz. pumpkin (peeled, deseeded, and cubed)
2 medium red onions (peeled and thinly sliced)
2 medium-sized pears (peeled, cored, and chopped)
1 3/4 cups dry pear cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-in. piece ginger root (peeled and chopped)
3 tbsp. preserved ginger
1 tbsp. ginger syrup
Place all the ingredients in a large pan and bring to a simmering boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Once it resembles a thick jam, remove from the heat.
Ladle into cool, sterilized jars, seal, and store. Use within 6 months.
Makes 2 lbs.
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This is the perfect recipe for tomatoes that just won’t ripen before the first frost.
Try adding to a winter stew or swirled through steamed rice.
1 lb. 5 oz. green tomatoes
1 large cooking apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
1 small green chile (deseeded and sliced)
1 small shallot (peeled, sliced, and diced)
1-in. piece ginger root (peeled and sliced)
1 large clove garlic (crushed)
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
You’ll need to start off by scoring the ends of the tomatoes. Place them in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let stand for 1–2 minutes, then peel.
Heat the sugar in a dry pan until the sugar melts and becomes caramelized. Add all the ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until you have a thick, jam-like consistency.
Remove from the heat, spoon into sterilized jars, and seal.
Makes 1 lb. 6 oz.
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The sweet smell of roasted peppers and the smoky paprika flavors are a winning combination. Team that with tomatoes and you’re onto a surefire winner.
1 lb. 5 oz. large tomatoes
5 large red peppers
2 large shallots (peeled and diced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 pinch smoked paprika
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 medium-sized red chile peppers (sliced)
3/4 cup superfine sugar
First score the ends of the tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Pour hot water over them until covered. Leave for 20 minutes and then peel. Let cool.
Cover the peppers in olive oil and roast in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 20–30 minutes, until the skin is charred. Remove and place in a paper bag until you can peel them; let cool.
Place the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, paprika, vinegar, and chile peppers in a pan; cook for 10–15 minutes, until the tomatoes have lost their tarty bite and are starting to break down. Then add the sugar and chopped roasted peppers and cook for another 5–10 minutes.
Spoon the chutney into cool, sterilized jars and seal. Leave for a couple of weeks to let the flavors harmonize. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and eat within 6 weeks.
Makes 1 lb. 11 oz.
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Serve with pan-fried mackerel or salmon with a side salad and sweet potato fries.
1/2 lb. cooking apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
small handful golden raisins
1/4 cup red onions (peeled and chopped)
3 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. apple pie spice
1/3 lb. rhubarb (chopped)
1 cup sugar
Add all the ingredients to your pan, except the sugar and rhubarb; combine and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the rhubarb; cook gently until the mixture starts to get thick and juicy (stir frequently to prevent the chutney from burning — especially in the first 5 minutes).
Once your first cook has finished, add the sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Crank up the heat and cook for another 10–20 minutes (watch your pan carefully; it should only simmer).
Always taste your chutney before canning. If required, add additional spices for your personal taste. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Use within 12 months.
Makes 1 lb. 3 oz.
see variations
My love for apples started with my two apple trees In my garden, today I supply major UK supermarkets with my apple-based preserves. From my home kitchen to yours!
10 peppercorns
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 lbs. 4 oz. mixed cooking apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
8 oz. banana shallots
1/2 cup large golden raisins
1/2 cup light brown muscovado sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Put the spices into a pan and pour over the vinegar, cover and gently simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Strain and discard the spices.
Into the same pan add the apples, shallots, golden raisins, sugars, and spiced vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately one hour until you have the consistency of a thick jam. If the apples look quite dry after 30 minutes add 1–2 tablespoons water and finish the remaining cook.
Remove from the heat and spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Leave to mature for a couple of weeks, once opened store in the refrigerator and use within 6 weeks.
Makes 2 lbs. 10 oz.
flaming mango chutney
see base recipe
super mango chutney
For a more indulgent chutney, omit the apples and replace with the same quantity mangoes.
flaming mango ginger chutney
Add 2 tablespoons of chopped stem ginger.
mango & lemon chutney
Add the zest and juice from 2 lemons when cooking the apples.
cranberry & mango flaming chutney
Replace half the apples with cranberries (remember to keep the lid on when cooking the cranberries).
spiced roasted plum chutney
see base recipe
all-the-plums chutney
Remove the onions and apples. Replace them with an equivalent amount of plums. Add the zest of an orange just before you can the chutney.
spiced plums & pears
Replace the apples with pears; omit the chiles.
ginger–plum chutney
Omit the black mustard seeds and replace with ground ginger; add an additional teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root.
hot, sweet & sticky plum chutney
Add 2 dried chilies when cooking the fruit; replace the sugar with dark brown molasses.
nutty spiced plum chutney
Add 1 cup of unsalted pecans in the last hour of cooking.
cran-apple chutney
see base recipe
blackberry–apple chutney
Replace the cranberries with blackberries and keep the lid off when cooking. Replace the vinegar with balsamic vinegar; proceed as main recipe.
cran–orange chutney
Replace half the apples with the zest and juice from 2 large oranges. Add this along with the remaining orange zest and juice.
cranberry–quince chutney
Replace the apples with quince, and replace the mulled wine with honey.
cran-apple chutney
Replace the vinegar with sherry vinegar; replace the sugar with demerara sugar.
zesty lemon & cranberry chutney
Replace the orange with lemon; add 2 tablespoons of pickled lemons, chopped.
pumpkin & ginger chutney
see base recipe
pumpkin–quince–ginger chutney
Replace the pears with quince; change the pear cider to apple cider.
thai-infused pumpkin chutney
Replace the pear cider with apple juice; omit the stem ginger and syrup and replace it with 1 red chile (diced), 2 tablespoons of lemongrass, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh mint, and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh cilantro (add two at the end).
cider-pumpkin chutney
Replace half the pear cider with cider vinegar and apple juice.
pumpkin & raisin chutney
Add 1/2 cup of raisins.
green tomato chutney
see base recipe
red & green tomato chutney
Replace half of the green tomatoes with red tomatoes; add these in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
roasted green tomato chutney
Roast the green tomatoes with a sprinkle of sugar and vinegar until soft, and then add to the apples.
indian green tomato chutney
Replace half the green tomatoes with golden raisins and add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander.
chargrilled pepper & tomato chutney
Chargrill 1 red pepper (skin and chop); add along with the remaining ingredients, and add 2 additional roasted garlic cloves.
quince & green tomato chutney
Replace the apple with quince and replace the vinegar with white wine vinegar.
roasted red pepper chutney
see base recipe
apple–pepper chutney
Replace the tomatoes with the same amount of cooking apples and proceed as main recipe.
sweet pepper chutney
Replace the superfine sugar with light brown sugar for a more robust, sweeter flavor. Roast the onions along with the peppers to increase the sweetness.
pear–pepper chutney
Replace half of the tomatoes with pears (cored, peeled, and chopped).
mango & red pepper chutney
Replace half the tomatoes with mango; replace the sugar with light brown sugar; omit the paprika and replace it with cumin seeds.
ruddy rhubarb & ginger chutney
see base recipe
peachy peach & ginger chutney
Replace the rhubarb with peaches (skinned, halved, and pitted).
rhubarb, almond & pear chutney
Replace the apples with pears; add 3 tablespoons of toasted flaked almonds at the end of cooking; omit the golden raisins.
caramelized red onion & rhubarb chutney
Replace the apples with red onions and cook these for 20–30 minutes with 1 ounce of butter and tablespoon of sugar. Once cooked, add to the rhubarb.
curried rhubarb chutney
Omit the apple pie spice and add 1 teaspoon of curry powder along with the zest from 1 lime.
perfect apple chutney
see base recipe
perfect apple chutney
Replace the golden raisins with chopped dates.
curried apple chutney
Omit the spices and replace them with 1 teaspoon of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped garlic and grated ginger root.
apple-tastic chutney
Use whatever apples you can find; mince the onions and replace the cider vinegar with white wine vinegar; use granulated sugar instead of the light brown sugar.
apples & figs
Replace the golden raisins with baby figs (soaked overnight in apple juice; pulse the following day to a figgy mush). Follow the recipe.
farmhouse apple chutney
Use a mix of diced apples, turnips, zucchini, green peppers, and onions (they must all be the same size).