Apple Chutney with Prunes & Dates (v)

I love my condiments and sharing them with others too. Today I'm making the first of several to give as christmas gifts to family and friends. A simple and delicious recipe perfect with cheese and cold meats, it has a little festive spice in it too. Soon I'll be bringing you recipes for Piccalilli, chilli jam and pickled onions.


Apple Chutney with Prunes & Dates


Ingredients:

• 1.5kg cooking apples
• 500g onions
• 250g dates
• 250g prunes
• 750g Demerara sugar
• 500ml white wine vinegar
• Zest and juice of two lemons
• 1 small chilli
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 tbsp of mustard seed

Method:

1. Wash, peel, core and chop the apples and onions finely
2. Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Simmer very gently until the chutney has reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. This will take up to 4 hours so make sure you have plenty of time on your hands. It is ready when there is no separate liquid on top and a spoon drawn across the top leaves a track.
4. Place into sterilised jars (I put mine through the dishwasher) airtight jars and leave for a least a month to mature.