Makes approximately 1 litre of chutney-you will need 2 x 500ml jars
Ingredients
200g squash, peeled
200g beetroot, peeled
100g courgette or marrow
4 medium tomatoes
1 large cooking apple
4 red onions
50g finely chopped dates
100g soft brown sugar
200g dark muscovado sugar
300ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown or yellow mustard seeds
1or 2 large dried chilli, left whole
1 cinnamon stick
4 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
Method
Chop all the vegetables into small chunks-about 1cm wide. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Simmer for one hour, stirring often. If the chutney starts to dry out add a little water.
After an hour taste the chutney and add a little more salt, sugar or a squeeze of lemon to taste. Remove the dried chillies at this stage if you don’t want your chutney to be very spicy. The chutney should be thick and spoon-able, if it isn’t keep on cooking until the chutney reduces. Be careful the chutney doesn’t burn towards the end of cooking. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon.
To sterilise jars give them a good wash by hand then place them in the oven at 170c gas mark 3 for 10 minutes. Alternatively use them straight after washing in a hot wash in a dishwasher.
Spoon the chutney into the jars while they are still warm.
Ideally leave the chutney for a few weeks before eating as it will get better with time. The chutney will keep in a cool dark place for a year and, once opened, in the fridge for 1 month or more.
