Myplot Summer Vegetable Chutney
In-between a pickle and a chutney, this preserve goes great with a variety of meats, salads and cheeses or simply serve with buttered bread and a few other choice pickles.
You could replace some of the vegetables with celery, marrow, green tomatoes, raw beetroot, shallots or other beans - a great way to use up a glut of summer vegetables from your plot!
Preparation time: 10 - 15 minutes Quantity: Makes 1 & 1/2 jam jars Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
200 g apples - cored, peeled and diced
100 g courgettes - roughly diced
100 g sweet red pepper - large diced
100 g fennel - diced
100 g French beans - 2 cm pieces
100 ml white or red wine vinegar
100g any sugar - try 50/50 dark brown and granulated
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
seasoning
Method
- Place everything except the balsamic vinegar in a large thick bottomed saucepan
- Bring to the boil then
- Simmer for 20 minutes or until chutney-fied
- Add the balsamic and seasoning
- Simmer for a further 10 minutes
- Allow to cool a little and then funnel in to sterilized jars
- Top with a wax disk (preferably) and store in a dark, cool place
Tip - To sterilize jam jars, soak off the label, dish-wash or wash thoroughly. Fill with boiling water (add a metal spoon if your worried about the jar cracking), replace the lid back on and leave for 3 - 4 minutes. I usually turn the jar upside down to allow the lid to sterilize for a minute or so. Pour out the water - holding the jar with an oven glove and fill with a sterilized funnel or spoons.
The traditional method is to boil the jars in a large saucepan.