Prep time:

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total time:

Serves:

1kg Bramley (Cortland or Granny Smith) apples, peeled, cored and sliced weight

2kg raw beetroot (beet), peeled and roughly chopped

1kg soft light brown sugar

450g sultanas or golden raisins

3.5tbsp salt

1tbsp ground ginger

1 small onion, finely chopped

500ml malt vinegar

Chutney is a great way of using up gluts of produce – we often have lots of beetroot in the garden at Great Dixter. This recipe is courtesy of Mary Coward, mother of Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor.

  1. Put the apples into a heavy pan with a little water, cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft but not mushy.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and boil for 1 hour or more, until the mixture thickens and erupts in small craters, like lava in a volcano.
  3. Spoon into warm, sterilized jars, cover with a double layer of greaseproof (wax) paper, then seal tightly, label and date.

The chutney can be eaten immediately, although I think it’s best stored in a cool place and enjoyed after a year.

The Great Dixter Cookbook is published by Phaidon £24.95. Wealden Times readers can buy it with a 30% discount and free UK shipping, using the code DX30 at phaidon.com/dixter offer open until 25 June 2018.

Aaron Bertelsen is appearing at The Garden Hub at the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair.

  • words:
  • pictures: Andrew Montgomery

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