IN A PICKLE
recipes
This month FRAN STEVENS, aka The Food Wife, is making the most of the abundance of autumn by rustling up chutneys, jams and pickles.
SPICY APPLE CHUTNEY Makes approx 1 litre of chutney
With all the cooking apples available at the moment this chutney is the perfect recipe to use up your windfalls. It requires no skill and yet you create the most wonderfully spicy chutney. This has a good kick from the homemade spice mix but you can always adjust this to taste. You do not have to use the combination of chillies I have suggested; by all means just use chilli flakes if you can’t get your hands on dried ancho chillies, for instance.
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I used a spice grinder to blitz them all to a fine powder, but with a bit of hard work you could use a pestle and mortar.
Ingredients 400g caster sugar 400ml cider vinegar 2 white onions, peeled and roughly chopped Roughly 1kg apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped 2 handfuls raisins or sultanas 1 inch ginger, peeled and finely chopped Spice mix ½ dried ancho chilli, roughly torn 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves Pinch salt 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 2 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp all spice
Method Use a spice grinder to blitz all of the spice mix ingredients together into a smooth powder. Combine all ingredients (including the spice mix) in a large, heavybottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil, and then simmer, uncovered for about an hour and a half To two hours, until the mix stays separated for a coupled seconds when a spoon is dragged through it. Transfer into sterilised jars and keep in the fridge. This chutney is wonderful with cheese or cold meats. Store in the fridge, especially once opened. THEWESTWILTSMAGAZINE 29
