Beetroot Chutney
- Prep: 5m
- Cook: 15m
- Serves: 6
Preserves have a reputation for being tricky, but this one couldn’t be more straightforward. It makes a perfect gift for those who love a cheese board or a chunky slab of roast ham. You will need vinegar-proof jars, which either have a rubber seal and flip-top lid or are screw top jars with rubber-coated seals in the lid. This rubber prevents any metal reacting with the acid.
Method
- Toast the coriander, nigella and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan for 2-3 minutes then crush them in a pestle and mortar.
- Put the seeds and all other the ingredients in a large metal saucepan and set over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the sugar is dissolved, then increase the heat and simmer for one hour. Resist the urge to put a lid on the pan, as the chutney needs to thicken and evaporate.
- Meanwhile, sterilise your jars. To do this, wash them in hot soapy water then put them in the oven, set at 100°C for around 10 minutes. Make sure they are still warm when you fill them.
- One the chutney is thick and glossy, spoon into the sterilised jars and seal. Tighten the lids again once everything is cooled and contracted. Leave to mature for a couple of weeks before using if you can, though it’s pretty tasty from day one. The chutney will keep for several months in a cupboard and a month in the fridge once opened.
Ingredients
All to be sourced organic where possible
- Makes 3 x 175g jars
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp nigella seeds
- 1tsp cumin seeds
- 750g peeled beetroot, cut into 5mm chunks
- 3 large apples (approx. 350g)
- 4 red onions (approx. 300g)
- 375g caster sugar
- 375g red wine vinegar
