APPLE AND ONION CHUTNEY
COOKING WITH SEASONAL PRODUCE
Apples and onions grow well in temperate climates and are being harvested during Autumn and Winter.
Whilst I was in Tasmania, a farm across the way was harvesting their onions. As the truck drove off it spilled onions from its load along the road so I spent some time gathering onions. Everywhere in Tasmania has apple trees growing alongside the road, so again I spent some time walking along picking apples. This led me to having a huge amount of apples and onions. So I had a think and then made some French Onion soup and spiced apple preserves. But I still had lots left, so I decided to make this chutney.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg apples (I use whatever is available)
500g onions (whatever colour you like)
1 lemon
4 cloves garlic crushed
500ml apple cider vinegar
400g dark brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp chili flakes if you want to make it spicy
Apples
Onion and a lemon
Apple cider vinegar
Soft brown sugar
The spices and salt
Tumeric (bright orange) Cinnamon (dark brown) Ginger (light brown)
METHOD:
Prepare the apples by coring them and roughly chopping them into small 1 - 2 cm sized cubes. Put these into a big pot.
Roughly chop the onions the same size as the apples and add them to the pot with the apples.
Slice the lemons in half length ways and slice very finely into semi circles and add them to pot with the apples and onions.
Add the vinegar to the pot.
Bring the ingredients in the pot to a boil and simmer (boil gently with little bubbles) for around 20 minutes, the apples should soften but not completely lose their shape.
After 20 minutes add the sugar and stir thoroughly to dissolve.
Continue simmering for a further 35 – 45 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. The apple chutney should be fairly thick at this point, if it is still watery, continue simmering.
When it is ready it will be dark and thick.
Turn off the heat and add the spices and garlic.
Put some rubber gloves on and package the apple chutney in still hot sterilised jars (I just put them in the dishwasher when I start the cooking so that they are hot when they come out) as soon as the chutney has come off the heat. Everything should be hot at this point to ensure a good seal.
To make sure that the jars are sealed you can also put them in a water bath.
**for instructions on how to use a water bath to seal your jars go to the Spiced Apples recipe page. There are instructions there.
The apple and onion chutney is best stored for a week or two for all of the flavours to mellow and combine and can be stored for months in a cupboard before being used.