Better Late than Never - Chutney to Die For

I started this post on April 18th when it was much more timely but circumstances intervened - Hubby took the recipe to work to photocopy and it disappeared into a black hole. He swears he gave it back to me but as I am the font of all knowledge when it comes to lost things I'm pretty sure he imagined that!

Anyway - here it is, unfortunately probably a bit late in season but at least I will have it recorded for posterity now.

My main tomato crop was over in December and we have just had enough for salads since then but some kind person at Hubby's work gave me him a bucket of heirloom ones that I promptly turned into pasta sauce. I sent them some eggs as a thank you and was rewarded with another bucket full. My neighbour had given me a jar of the most divine chutney for looking after her chooks so I got the recipe and turned the second bucket, plus some of those great apples, into chutney. My friends have been bringing empty jars round to be filled with it, it is sooo good.

I gave the tomato givers a jar too and was rewarded yet again with a bucket of tomatoes - half of these were made into more sauce and the others we are eating like sweets, they are so delicious. Nothing I like better than a good barter.

The chutney recipe is a Maggie Beer one called Little Blanche's Ripe Tomato Chutney, tweaked a bit by my gourmet neighbour, cut down to 1/3 of the original and (almost) slavishly followed by me as it was my first attempt at chutney. (It was a great way to get rid of excess Christmas dried fruit too):

250g raisins (I used sultanas, my neighbour used figs)

500g Granny Smith apples (I used Bramley and Coxs)

1.5kg ripe tomatoes

650g brown onions - peeled and finely chopped (I'm lazy mine were chunky)

40g salt

650g sugar (half white, half demerera)

260ml vinegar (brown malt)

40g garlic cloves

20g grated ginger

1 ripe chilli (I used more)

Peel and core the apples and chop them roughly. Cut the tomatoes into eighths and cook with the apples and onions. (Till soft I guess) Add all other ingredients and boil gently for 2 to 3 hours. Reduce any liquid at high temperature. Bottle.

Warning - it may increase your cheese and crackers consumption quite considerably as you will not be able to stop once you start!