Apple Chutney Recipe {Quick & Easy} - Savory Simple (2024)

FAQs

What does vinegar do in chutney? ›

Vinegar is always needed to add the tang that chutneys deliver but also it helps preserve the mixture and as chutneys will sit around for a long time, that's important.

Once made, chutney can be eaten immediately but the flavours improve and develop if it is left to mature for a couple of weeks or even months. Store your unopened jars in a dry and dark cupboard for best results. Once opened, keep your chutney in the fridge and eat within four weeks.

Chutney is such an interesting preserve as it combines sweet and savoury flavours, making it an ideal accompaniment for a range of dishes such as cold meats, salami, ham, pasties, pies and is essential in a traditional Ploughman's Lunch! I also add chutney to my curries, tagines and winter stews.

If your chutney is too runny or your recipe calls for a thickening agent, always use cornflour mixed with a little of the vinegar. Cornflour is gluten free. Always to this at the very end because thickening your chutney like this will make catch and burn easily.

Ginger also works very well. Cooks tip 2: I used cider vinegar in this Apple chutney recipe, but it is fine to use malt vinegar or wine vinegar. They will all produce slightly different flavours and it just a matter of personal preference and what you happen to already have in your cupboard.

Chutneys are made by slow-cooking fruit or vegetables with peeled ginger, garlic, Korintje cinnamon, and chilies. Spices and vinegar are added to preserve the chutney and give it a tangy flavor.

3. Allow for a long cooking time. It is essential that chutneys are allowed a long and slow cooking period in a pan that is not covered with a lid.

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

Relishes, on the other hand, are cooked for a shorter time, with the resultant relish chunkier and more sharply flavoured than a chutney. Some people argue that a chutney will always contain mainly fruit or a mixture of fruits, and relishes are generally made of vegetables, and usually one variety.

Remove from the heat and ladle into a sterilised jar whilst hot, then seal and label. It will keep for up to 6 months if store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Once opened, use within 4 weeks and keep in the fridge.

Can you freeze apples for chutney? ›

How to freeze sliced apples. When sliced, apples can be used for pastry fillings, smoothies, apple sauce, chutney and more. Prep them as you would for snacking – wash the apple, peel it (if you prefer), core then chop. When an apple is exposed to the air, it oxidises, turning an unattractive brown colour.

Vinegar used in making chutney must be good quality and have at least 5% acetic acid content. Any good brand white, malt, wine or cider vinegar should possess the correct qualities. Brown sugar is used for darker coloured chutney but where a lighter colour is required granulated sugar is recommended.

If the chutney seems too runny, cook it for another 5-10 minutes and test again. You may also like to give the chutney the odd stir as you cook it, to prevent the mixture at the edges of the pan from catching.

Our answer

If you made a double quantity it may take longer for the acid in the vinegar to mellow, unless you used a particularly wide pan that would help the vinegar to evaporate more easily. So it is worth tasting the chutney before you transfer it to jars, to make sure that the mixture is not too acidic.

The acidity (low pH) of the chutney prevents growth of several spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, molds and yeasts. This acidity is derived from the added vinegar and the natural acids of the fruit.

Light-bodied rice vinegar is among the most versatile white wine vinegar substitutes. Also called rice wine vinegar, it's made from white, brown, or black rice that's fermented until the sugars and starches turn into alcohol and then acetic acid.

Add more yogurt, coconut milk, or even plain water to mellow out the bitterness and achieve a more balanced flavor. Blend or Process Well: Ensure that you blend or process the chutney thoroughly to achieve a smooth texture. Sometimes, bitter flavors can be concentrated in fibrous or coarse parts of the ingredients.