Rhubarb chutney

Foraging diaries # 24 / Chutney diaries # 4: apples.

Depending on the type of curry powder you use, this can either be a spiced chutney or a mild chutney. I'll let you decide.

From Lynda Brown's The preserving book.

Serves: 1 litre jar.

Ingredients:

• 600g rhubarb, chopped into 2.5cm chunks
• 150g cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp Nigella seeds (onion seeds)
• pinch of sea salt
• 300ml pickling vinegar
• 300g brown sugar

Method:

1. Put the rhubarb in a stainless steel pan with the apples and onions. Add a little bit of water and cook on a low heat until the rhubarb softens, about 10 min.
   
   
   
   
2. Stir in the ginger, curry powder, Nigella seeds and sea salt. Pour in half the vinegar and simmer gently for about 30-40 min, stirring occasionally. It actually took me 15min!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Dissolve the sugar in the remaining vinegar in a bowl and add this to the pan. I thought that it was too much sugar in little vinegar and I couldn't really dissolve without heat so I heated them in a pan until the sugar was dissolved. Then I added it to the pan.
   
   
   
4. Simmer gently until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10-15 min.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Ladle into sterilized jars with non-metallic or vinegar-proof lids, making sure there are no gaps.
6. Store in a cool, dark place.
7. Allow the flavours to mature for 1 month and refrigerate after opening.