CHRISTMAS CHUTNEY

It was time to make one of our favourite Christmas Chutney, in our household yesterday. Not just for ourselves, but to give to neighbours and to donate to our Church's Christmas Fayre. The recipe is simple and if you still have some apples from your fruit trees or from a friends, then you have almost half of the vital ingredients. Go on, have a go, it is delicious with cheese or ham over the festive period and it will store for up to 12 months.

Ingredients: (makes 3.5Kg or 8lbs)
1.8Kg Cooking Apples
900g onions
3 plump garlic cloves
60g fresh root ginger
1 large red chilli
1 litre distilled malt vinegar (but we used the malt vinegar we already had in the house)
550g light muscovado sugar
2tbs ground turmeric
1tbs salt

Method:

• Peel, core and chop the apples. Chop the onions, garlic and ginger. Deseed the chilli and chop.
• Put the apples onions, garlic, ginger and chilli in a large preserving pan (above).
• Pour in the vinegar and stir in the sugar, turmeric and salt.
• Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for about 1 hour until thick. Sir often as the mixture educes to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan and burning.
• Spoon into hot sterilized jars, cover with waxed seals, label and store in a cool dark place for about 2 weeks before using.
• Then try it on a Ploughman's Lunch, with mature Cheddar cheese or on your Christmas ham.