I have always been an enthusiastic fan of chutneys - what better accompaniment to a tasty cheese or ham than the concentrated flavours of preserved fruit and spices?
I made my first batch in 2008 after reading a recipe for Pineapple Chutney. I modified it significantly and it has become my favourite: Appley Pineappley Chutney.
These chutneys are made for pleasure, for sharing - if you have received one and are looking up the website, I trust you enjoy it!
A friend gave me her grandmother's book of chutney recipes and this inspired me to explore more, and I have since dabbled in several variants:
- Appley Pineappley Chutney - Pineapples are often £1 at Lidl (sometimes 85p!) and I just cannot resist this old favourite, which goes so well with many things, but especially ham.
- Plummey Chutney - We have several family, friends and neighbours with victoria plums. These make a wonderful, rich, sweet chutney that goes well with cheeses and ham. In 2013 I made a variant with brambles called 'Brummel Plum' and it was delicious - lovely colour and rich!
- Plum'n'Beetie - a variation on the plum with an equal measure of beetroot.
- Appley Figgy Chutney - We have access to a number of apple trees and in late autumn there is often some fruit spare, and makes a mild but flavoursome chutney that accompanies any cooked dish, or soft cheeses like brie and Cambazola.
- Sweet Tomato Chutney - who doesn't love tomato chutney?! There are two tricky aspects that prevent me making it often: blanching & sticking to the pan. I have mastered the blanching and actually enjoy this, but haven't worked out how to prevent the sticking, other than stirring constantly which slows the process down and means I cannot sterilise jars and do other things...
- Coull Tomato Chutney - an attempt to replicate a favourite of the Coull's, this chutney includes fennel and carraway seeds.
- Pommie Pineapple - after watching the kids eating pommegrante seeds, I thought how great they would look in a chutney... this light-coloured version highlights the bright pommegrante seeds and has all the flavour of the pineapple.
- Merry Cranberry Chutney - largely based on BBC Good Food's recipe, this is a real treat to accompany the turkey at Christmas.
Enjoy, and thanks for looking up the page!