Apple, plum and tomato chutney

On my domestic goddess Sunday (or at least, the closest I'll ever come to domestic goddess status) I made this chutney as well as my raw bakewell tart bars. I have never made chutney before. I wasn't sure I was up to it: along with jam, it has always seemed a challenging dish to make at home. It turns out that it is quite easy! Other than requiring a few hours to simmer away, there is very little effort required. Sometimes expectations differ hugely from reality.

One challenge I did have was with how much sugar to use. Many recipes called for a lot. The recipe I adapted seemed to call for far too much. I reduced the amount, but my chutney is still quite sweet. Mr Bite loves it! So do I, but I would use a little less sugar next time. It's not that this is unpleasantly sweet, just perhaps unnecessarily sweet.

I thought some setting agent was required for chutney (as with jam), but it seems I was wrong on that point too. The chutney firmed up on cooling, although mine is not very thick - reducing the liquid would address that if desired.

I simplified my chutney by omitting sultanas, mustard seeds and shallots from the recipe I adapted, but then added tomatoes and mixed spice. I was pleased that the flavours came together nicely. So far, we have enjoyed it in falafel wraps and with chickpeas and rice. I was delighted that Mr B ate a decent serve of chickpeas (flavoured simply with onion, curry powder and paprika), when they were topped with this. I think the chutney may appear again.

A final note on amounts: most chutney recipes make a very large batch, to allow for sealing up a decent number of small preserve jars. I am not very confident with sterilising and sealing preserve jars, so made a reduced portion that I'll keep in the fridge to use over 2 weeks. If you want a bigger batch, just increase the ingredients to suit.

Apple, plum and tomato chutney

A surprisingly easy and very tasty chutney

Vegan and low in fat

Makes approximately 5 cups

Allow 1 hour for cooking

Author: Bite-Sized Thoughts, adapted from the apple and plum chutney on All Recipes

Print recipe

Ingredients

620g apples, weighed with skin and core (approximately 5 medium apples)

310g plums, weighed with skin and stones (approximately 5 large plums)

310g tomatoes

75g (2/3 cup) caster sugar - reduce for a less sweet chutney

155ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Method

Peel and chop your apples and place in a large saucepan or stove top casserole dish. Roughly chop the plums and tomatoes and add to the apples. Add the remaining ingredients (sugar, vinegar, salt, spice, ginger) and then bring the chutney mix to the boil. There will be a minimal amount of liquid at this stage.

When the mixture reaches boiling point, reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for approximately 1 hour, stirring regularly. Turn off the heat and allow to cool; the chutney should thicken further on cooling.

Transfer to sterilised preserving jars for long-term storage, or sealed containers to keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Are you a fan of chutney? Do you have any favourite flavour combinations?

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