Christmas Chutney Recipe

My last blog post contained mutterings of Christmas chutney! And I know some of you wanted the recipe! I promise this will not disappoint. I had such a lovely evening; music playing, jigging around the kitchen with my wooden spoon as no one was home, the room filling with an undoubtedly Christmas scent, how can you feel anything other than joy and happiness? And the feeling of being prepared rather than a last minute Christmas dash and 'I wish I had......' was fantastic!

Enjoy!

Ingredients;
Makes approx 2.2 litres.
750g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
500g fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen
250g soft pitted dates, each cut into 3 pieces
Zest, pulp and juice of 3 clementines
400g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
500mm white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Jars

* Sterilise your jars
* Put the apples, onions, cranberries and dates into a large pan (if you keep to the above quantities, you really will need a large pan!)
* Zest the clementines over the top, then squeeze in the juice and scrape in the pulp
* Add the sugar, ground cloves, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, then pour the vinegar over and sprinkle in the salt
* Now all you have to do is give it a good stir, turn on the heat, bring to a boil, once boiling turn down the heat and let it bubble cheerfully, uncovered, for about an hour or until you have a pulpy mass

To Finish;
* Take a deep breath of the beautiful, christmassy aroma!
* Spoon into your jars and seal.
This chutney would make a perfect gift and stocking filler for friends and family, just add ribbon and a gift tag (more ideas for gift wrap another time! Keep your eyes pealed).

Make Ahead Tip;
Make the chutney up to 2 months before using or giving as a gift (the longer it has to 'mature' the better). Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within one month.

Thank you Nigella!