Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (2024)

This chutney recipe is irresistible — it’s got that expected sweet-tart balance lent by the sugar and vinegar, but there’s also a bit of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes and freshly grated ginger. It’s delicious smeared over crackers and topped with Cheddar, and it’s excellent in a grilled cheese!

Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (1)

Marisa McClellan, author of three books on canning and creator of the website, Food in Jars, just published her fourth book: The Food in Jars Kitchen.

Unlike her previous books, which focused on canning, this book includes recipes to help you use up your many jars of jams, chutneys, and pickles. She created the recipes — think: jam-laquered chicken wings, oatmeal muffins with fruit butter, bean and rice casserole with tomato salsa — with your pantry in mind; there’s no need to start from scratch.

BUT. If you’re up for it, I think maybe you should.

At the end of the book, Marisa includes a few “essential preserves” recipes, ten of her favorites, including this “adaptable chutney recipe,” which I’ve made with apples, but which Marisa says will work with apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears or plums. It takes about an hour to cook, during which time the apples completely break down, transforming into a dark, jammy mass.

I find this chutney recipe irresistible — it’s got that expected sweet-tart balance lent by the sugar and vinegar, but there’s also a bit of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes and freshly grated ginger. The apple flavor is nearly indiscernible — the apples are merely a vehicle to carry the many other flavors. When I eat it, in fact, my brain thinks fig, which makes me understand why so many different fruits could work here.

I’ve been smearing the chutney over crackers and topping it with slices of sharp Cheddar cheese, and I imagine it would pair well with so many cheeses from minerally blues to chalky goats to creamy triple crèmes, making it an excellent addition to any cheese board.

For lunch yesterday, I spread the chutney over bread, topped it with grated Gruyère, and made a grilled cheese sandwich, which was overwhelmingly delicious. (More on this soon.)

In the book, Marisa suggests using the chutney variously: in compound butters, cheese rolls, pork tenderloin with pan sauce, and blank slate white bean spread, which I made and ate with endive spears and carrots — the chutney is such an easy and surprising way to liven up a bean-based dip, giving it both texture and depth of flavor.

I haven’t been processing this chutney in a water bath, but come next fall, I absolutely will. Wouldn’t it be fun to gift mini jars of this chutney paired with a wedge of cheese? All nicely bundled together with baker’s twine? And a festive gift tag?

It’s never too late to start preparing for the holidays…
(I kid, I kid. Let’s not think about the holidays just yet.)

What is Chutney?

Chutney is a thick, jam-like condiment, originating from India. It can be made with countless fruits and vegetables, but often includes a combination of both fruits and vegetables, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Chutneys often cook for long periods of time to develop flavor, and thanks to the vinegar and sugar, typically have a sweet-tart flavor profile. Chutneys can be mild or hot.

One More Thing

When Marisa’s last book came out, Naturally Sweet Food in Jars, I had intended to post her recipe for apple-date butter, which I had made and loved. I’m three years late but the recipe is finally up: Cinnamon-Spiced Apple-Date Butter.

Both of these apple recipes would be better suited to post in the fall, but I’m worried if I wait, Marisa might write another book and set me back three more years. So without further ado, I’m posting a few unseasonal but delicious Marisa McClellan recipes on this fine spring day:

  • Adaptable Apple Chutney (below)
  • Cinnamon-Spiced Apple-Date Butter
  • Blank Slate White Bean Spread with Adaptable Apple Chutney

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (2)

Peel and chop the apples and onion.
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (3)

Dump everything into a pot all at once. How nice?
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (4)

Simmer.
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (5)

When it looks like this, it’s done.
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (6)

Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (7)

Eat it with cheese and crackers, stir it into hummus or a white bean dip, or make a grilled cheese. (More on this soon. The grilled cheese looked so incredibly delicious I didn’t have the patience to take a photo. Will add photo soon.)
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (8)

Marisa McClellan’s The Food in Jars Kitchen:
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (9)

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Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (10)

Simple Apple Chutney Recipe

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  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups
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Description

Adapted from Marisa McClellan’s The Food in Jars Kitchen, this chutney recipe will work with apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears or plums. This is a half recipe, so scale up as needed.

If you’d like more details on sterilizing jars and preparing a water bath for canning, view this post on Food in Jars.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. apples (5 to 6), peeled and diced small-ish
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about a cup)
  • 3/4 cup golden raisins
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, any color is fine
  • 1.5 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and raise the heat to medium, adjusting the heat as necessary to allow the mixture to stay at a constant simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for 20-40 minutes more or until the chutney thickens, darkens and the flavors start to marry. I liked to purée the chutney in my food processor to a coarse thickness — I have weird textural issues with cooked raisins and puréeing the chutney solves the issue for me … no need to do this if you have no trouble with cooked raisins.
  2. Transfer chutney to a jar and store in fridge for one to two weeks.
  3. Alternatively, process the chutney: prepare a boiling water bath, and sterilize three half-pint jars. Spoon the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
  4. When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for for up to 1 year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Condiment
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American/Indian
Simple Apple Chutney Recipe | Alexandra's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Which vinegar is best for chutney? ›

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.

How long does homemade apple chutney last? ›

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.

Why is my apple chutney not thickening? ›

Our answer. When you make chutney its consistency is determined by the evaporation of liquid as the chutney cooks. So if possible you should use a wide pan as this has a larger surface area which means that liquid will evaporate more quickly and should help to prevent the fruit in the chutney from becoming too soft.

How long should you leave homemade chutney before eating? ›

Allow to Mature

Chutneys are best eaten after a long maturing period so we recommend storing them in a cool, dry dark place and leaving them for no less than 8 weeks before opening them.

Can you use white vinegar instead of malt vinegar for chutney? ›

Get creative in choosing which fruit and veg you use, as well as which types of sugar, vinegar and spices you want. The sugar can be white or brown, and you can use almost any vinegar under the sun. I would probably steer clear of Balsamic, but apple cider, malt, red wine are all contenders.

Can you use Apple cider vinegar instead of malt vinegar in chutney? ›

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.

Why does my chutney taste so vinegary? ›

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.

Do chutney need to cool before putting in jars? ›

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.

Why is my chutney too vinegary? ›

Ideally all chutney should have some time to mature in a cool, dry place away from bright light. Over this period the flavour of the chutney mellows and becomes less acidic or "vinegary".

Why does my chutney taste bitter? ›

Adjust the Herbs and Spices: Bitterness in chutney can sometimes be caused by an excessive amount of certain herbs or spices. Consider reducing the quantity of bitter ingredients such as fenugreek leaves (methi), mustard seeds, or certain greens like spinach.

How do you know if chutney is done? ›

When the chutney has cooked for long enough it should have reduced a bit in volume and be quite thick. The simmering time will depend a little on the size of the pan, the chutney will cook a bit more quickly in a wider pan.

Can I use old jam jars for chutney? ›

It's quite alright to reuse jam jars and they don't have to be Kilner jars either. It's not necessary to put a greaseproof or a waxed disc in the top of the jar - just fill it nearly to the top with the aim of having the smallest air gap. This is to prevent mould spores in the air spoiling your chutney.

What's the difference between chutney and relish? ›

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.

Why is my homemade chutney runny? ›

The most common method is to simply cook it for longer, until the excess water evaporates and the chutney thickens naturally. This can take a while, so be patient and stir the chutney frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Which vinegar is best for Indian food? ›

White vinegar - this kind of vinegar comes from grain-based ethanol or acetic acid, which is diluted with water. It has a strong flavour and is a popular part of Indian cuisine. White vinegar also makes a great all-purpose cleaner!

What can I use instead of malt vinegar in chutney? ›

Malt vinegar substitute: Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are your best options for malt vinegar substitutes.

Which vinegar is best for Indian cooking? ›

White Vinegar

This one is most commonly found in Indian kitchens. This vinegar is made from grain-based ethanol or acetic acid, which is mixed with water to make it more soluble and suitable for cooking.

Can I use white wine vinegar instead of cider vinegar in chutney? ›

Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar make good substitutes for one another in most cooking applications, but the former is significantly more tart. In many cases, you can also use these vinegars as substitutes for other types of vinegar.

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