Spiced beetroot and orange chutney

spiced beetroot and orange chutney

Since my rhubarb jam experiment I have had a go at making other types of jam, namely plum and blackberry, and both with very pleasing results. In truth it isn’t rocket science this jam making malarkey! So I thought why not try to make some chutney? After all  the process is the same one: you basically put all the ingredients in a big pan and boil the lot. By the way, for the Italians amongst you: chutney is a relish which is made with vegetables (amongst whom there always seem to be onions), or a combination of vegetables and fruits, cut into small chunks. There are many different types out there: mango, tomato, plum, cranberry…you name it. The base of it is vinegar, sugar and spices. It has a fabulous  sweet and sour taste and it’s a delicious accompaniment to cheeses and cold meats.  I had always wanted to try making some as I love eating it , but have never had the confidence. For some reasons I thought it would be difficult and complicated. Well…it couldn’t be further from the truth. As my friend Carmelita had quite a few beetroots happily growing in her amazing vegetable patch, a few weeks ago we decided to be “brave” and  use them to make some chutney. I scoured the internet for some recipes and came across this interesting looking one on the Good Food website. So we spent an afternoon happily chopping vegetables and boiling them in our witches cauldron. The results were impressive! In theory you are supposed to wait for at least 4 weeks before eating it but I couldn’t resist it and tried it a few days later. Delicious! So I guess it will be even better next month! And the colour is amazing too: bright purple.

INGREDIENTS

1½ kg raw beetroot , trimmed, peeled and diced (wear gloves!)

3 onions , chopped

3 eating apples , peeled and grated

zest and juice 3 oranges

2 tbsp white or yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp ground cloves

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

700ml red wine vinegar

700g golden granulated sugar

METHOD

Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and mix well . Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 1 hr (we cooked it for a bit longer), stirring occasionally, until the chutney is thick and the beetroot tender.

Once the chutney is ready, let it settle for 10 mins, then carefully spoon into sterilized  jars and seal while still hot. You can eat it straight away but it will be even better after a month. Will keep for up to 6 months in a cool dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and eat within 2 months.

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