Making Apple & Rhubarb Chutney

We had a couple of small pieces of apple left over from the when we were bottling our apples, in the previous blog. I decided to turn these into chutney, using the rhubarb in the front garden to add more dimension to the chutney. This chutney is packed with flavour, and promises to be a firm favorite with those who do not like onions.

My mom and I bottled some apple slices, but kept the discarded pieces of apple in a separate bowl of water to which we've added a squirt of lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. These are the apples I will be using to make my chutney from. I measured 8 cups (8 x 250 ml) apples. A little more or less, will make a major difference, but try to remain in this ballpark figure.

I pick a couple of stems of rhubarb in the garden.

The leaves are discarded and the stems are washed.

I then chop the stems into medium sized slices. I measured 6 cups (6 x 250 ml) chopped rhubarb in a large mixing bowl.

I used 2 cups (500 ml) white wine vinegar. You can also use cider vinegar, if you prefer. I added 1 teaspoon (5 ml) each of cinnamon, mustard powder, pimento/all spice, and ground ginger. All of these were added to the rhubarb in the mixing bowl.

I then measured and added 2 cups (500 ml) dark brown sugar (mucavado), 2 teaspoons (10 ml) crushed garlic, 1 cup (250 ml) raisins and 1 cup (250 ml) chopped dates.

It was now time to drain the apples and add it to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the ingredients well to prevent the apples turning brown.

Transfer the mixture to a large pot.

Bring to the boil.

You can cook the chutney in a normal pot, or you may choose to speed up the cooking time by using a pressure cooker. You can also cook the chutney on high in a microwave oven. It should take 6-10 minutes to cook in the microwave oven.

When it is cooked, the fruit will have softened and become infused with the flavours of the spices. The longer it sits on the shelf, the better the flavours will develop.

Transfer the hot chutney to sterilized jars. Do not allow air to be trapped inside the jars. Seal tight while still hot.

My brother came over for a quick visit just as I was ready to put the dishes in the sink. He literally scraped the bottom of the pot to get to the last morsel. It is that good! Of course he left with his own bottle of chutney!

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
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