A simple salad served with cold meat and cheese can be transformed with a good dollop of dark homemade fruity chutney. I love the stuff, I also love the fact that it is so easy to make at home.
The recipe I use is loosely based on a Delia Smith chutney recipe from her Christmas book, which she called Christmas chutney because it used dried fruits she associates with Christmas.
But I think this time of year is a better time to make it. By now any dried fruit in open packets from Christmas baking sessions can start to get a little too dry, so it a great recipe for using them up.
This chutney reminds me of a well-known British brand of pickle (as chutney is sometimes called) but even better!
It goes well with cold meats, cheese, pork pies and of course Ploughman's lunches which are beginning to appeal now that the warmer weather is here.
Don't worry if you don't have the exact amounts of each fruit as long as overall you end up with 900g (2lb) of fruit.
I've made it many times and varied slightly according to what I have. In this batch, I've used prunes, dates, figs and apricots, but you could also use raisins or sultanas.
The chutney needs to be left about 1 month for the flavours to mature but the chutney will last for years. At least so Delia advises I've never had it long enough to test that theory.
The Ploughman's lunch
When I was thinking about how I would photograph the chutney for the blog my first idea was as a ploughman's lunch. And that got us talking about them at home.
Did ploughmen really eat bread, cheese and chutney along with a pint for lunch? A bit of research and we discovered that while cheese and bread might have been basis of rural lunch for centuries, it was a tradition that was broken by the introduction of rationing during the war.
In the 1950s the Cheese Bureau promoted it as an easy meal that could be produced in pubs and would get people eating more cheese again after rationing had ended.
Further promoting by the Milk Marketing Board in the 1960s meant that the humble ploughman's lunch became very much a part of the British menu and has remained popular ever since/
How to make this easy homemade chutney step by step
Add the chopped fruit to the vinegar mixture. Cook gently for about 90 minutes. Until the chutney is thickened and reduced. Spoon into sterlised jars and seasl until required.
Fruity Chutney
Ingredients
- 250 g no-soak stoned prunes
- 250 g no-soak dried apricots
- 250 g pitted dates
- 150 g dried figs
- 2 large onions
- 500 ml cider vinegar
- 50 g salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 450 g light muscovado sugar
Instructions
- Chop the dried fruit and onions into very small pieces. The easiest way to do this is to chop them in a food processor(which will greatly reduce the prep time), but you can chop them by hand if you prefer
- Pour the vinegar into a large saucepan and add the salt, spices and sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the fruit and onions and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered for about 1½ hours until the chutney has reduced and thickened. You will be able to draw a spoon through the mixture and it will leave a trail that does not immediately fill up with vinegar.
- Spoon into warm sterilized jars and seal. Once cold, label and store in a cool dark place for at least 1 month before using.
Jenny Watts
The perfect recipe - I’d had a jar of the Well Known Brand from the Lake District and kept the label for the ingredients. This is delicious! I made 9 jars in November, gave away 2 and were soon to open our last jar! Time to make some more!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Wow you must like pickle as much as I do. Definately time to make some more if you are nearly out.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
This looks so good! I much prefer homemade chutney to the shop bought stuff 😀 Eb x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I so agree and although this tastes remarkably similar to a certain brand it is also more economical to make your own.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
This looks so tasty. I love a chutney with my cheese and crackers and this looks perfect.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I'm not a fan of cheese and biscuits - I now I'm weird but I do love chutney with cold meats. My B on the other hand loves cheese and crackers like you with a good dollop of chutney.
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Oh yum, I love fruit chutney on a cheese sandwich and this would be perfect!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
It's one of my favourite chutneys.
Veronica
I just love homemade chutney - I find shop-bought to be a little too tart for my taste. With homemade you can adjust the flavour to suit yourself. I always add a dollop of chutney when I'm making spag bol - not traditional I know, but does add to the flavour.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Ive never tried adding chutney to spag bol but i can understand why it might work. If i remember next time I make one I will try it. who cares if its traditional or not if it works why not!
Corina Blum
I've never made my own chutney but it's something I'd love to have a go at one day and I love the fruitiness of this one.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Its really easy, I would make more but my family are not huge chutney eaters. This is a good place to start so if you give it a go, let me know what you think.
Helen - Cooking with my kids
I always give my Dad chutney for his birthday so maybe this year I need to make my own. I have a lot of open fruit from baking, so you're right, this would be a great way of using some of that up. #CookBlogShare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
My dad was a big chutney fan and he would love homemade chutney as a gift if he were still around. Sadly I was not into chutney making before although i remember him making some good ones in the past. This one is super handy as it doesn't rely on having a glut of an ingredient to make it.
Sage
Thank you for this! I'm a Branston Pickle addict, and bring a stash back to Denmark with me every time I go to England. Unfortunately, it doesn't always last until my next trip, but now I can make my own... can't wait to try it 🙂 #CookBlogShare
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I really hope you like it and that it Fills the gap between supplies to your satisfaction.