Apple chutney goes into hot, clean jars

At the end of the apple season there is always a bag of apples that nobody wants to eat: a bit bruised, a bit soft, too many at once. That is when I make a pot of apple chutney. The kitchen smells of vinegar and spice for an afternoon, and by Christmas there are jars to open with cold meat, cheese and sandwiches.

Chutney is forgiving. It does not need perfect fruit, it does not need a thermometer, and it does not set the way jam does. What it does need is time on the hob, and clean, hot jars.

For about four medium jars I use 1 kg of cooking apples or a mix of cooking and eating apples, 2 onions, 150 g of sultanas, 300 g of light brown sugar, 350 ml of cider vinegar, a thumb of fresh ginger, a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground allspice, a pinch of chilli flakes and a teaspoon of salt.

I cut away any bruised or damaged parts from the apples, and throw away any apple with mould. Mould is not something to cut around in preserving. Then I peel, core and chop them into small pieces, chop the onions finely and grate the ginger.

Everything goes into a large, heavy, wide pan, not aluminium, because vinegar reacts with it. I stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring it to a gentle simmer. It cooks, uncovered, for about an hour and a half, sometimes a bit longer, and I stir it more often towards the end so it does not catch on the bottom. The vinegar steam is strong, so I open a window.

The chutney is ready when it is thick and dark, and when I draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, it leaves a clear path for a few seconds before the chutney slowly closes over it.

While it cooks, I prepare the jars. I wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse them well, and put the jars upside down on a tray in the oven at 140°C, or 120°C for a fan oven, for about 15 minutes. The lids must be vinegar-proof, with a plastic coating inside; bare metal lids rust. I handle the hot jars with an oven glove and a tea towel.

I fill the hot jars with the hot chutney using a clean jam funnel or ladle, right up to about 1 cm from the top, pressing it down with a spoon so there are no air pockets. I wipe the rims clean with a piece of kitchen paper dipped in hot water, put the lids on straight away, and leave them to cool. The children watch from the table, not from beside the pan; hot chutney is thick and sticks to skin.

Chutney needs time to mellow. I label the jars with the name and date and keep them in a cool, dark cupboard for at least a month before opening, when the sharpness of the vinegar softens. Unopened, they keep for up to a year. Once a jar is open, it goes into the fridge, and I use a clean spoon each time and finish it within about a month. If I see mould, a bulging lid or anything fizzing, the whole jar goes in the bin.

Apple chutney. Makes about 4 jars. About 2 hours. You need 1 kg apples, 2 onions, 150 g sultanas, 300 g light brown sugar, 350 ml cider vinegar, a thumb of ginger, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, a pinch of chilli and 1 tsp salt. Dissolve the sugar, then simmer everything uncovered for about 1½ hours until thick. Pot into hot, clean jars and seal. Leave for a month.

What do you serve chutney with?