Courgette and Tomato Chutney

A few days back I had a specific request for a new chutney flavour. A regular customer to my market stall had just finished a jar of my beetroot and orange chutney and was saying how much she enjoyed it, but one of her favourites was courgette chutney, which she couldn’t find anywhere; so she asked me to make her some. The task duly taken on board I dug through my recipe notebooks and came across what sounded like a very tasty recipe for courgette and tomato chutney.

This chutney was so easy to make, a bit of chopping time, but that really is the most laborious part of it. The smell filling the kitchen as it cooked was divine and after putting it in the jars I had a small amount left, not enough to fill a jar…so of course I had to eat it. Even though there had been no aging time to soften the sharpness of the vinegar it was delicious. Tasting that good just made I have high hopes for it after 4-6 weeks.

Here’s the recipe, give it a go!

Ingredients

500ml cider vinegar – I used Aspalls Cyder Vinegar

300ml water

400g brown sugar – I used half brown caster sugar and half light muscovado

1 tbsp mixed spice

2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1tsp salt – I used Maldon sea salt

4 onions chopped small

1kg diced courgettes

1kg chopped tomatoes – I used plum tomatoes

4 eating apples peeled, cored and chopped – I used cox apples

300g sultanas

Method

In a large, thick-bottomed pan (not aluminium) add the vinegar, water, sugar, all the spices and salt. Bring to a simmer stirring continuously until all the sugar has dissolved.

Once the sugar has dissolved add all the other ingredients and turn up the heat. Bring to the boil but do not cover. Once the mixture is boiling turn down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is greatly reduced. The chutney will become darker as it cooks down, just how dark depends on the type of brown sugar you have used. Mine took about 1½ hours to reduce sufficiently to be placed in jars. When you think it is ready draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, if you can see the bottom of the pan clearly along the path of the spoon and it takes a second or two for the remaining liquid to close over it the chutney is ready.

Pot up into hot sterilized jam jars, seal and label when cool. Leave in a cool, dark place for at least 4-6 weeks before trying. Make sure your lids are vinegar proof and have a vinegar proof seal.

HINTS: As you are cooking with vinegar make sure your pan is stainless steel and not aluminium. I use a proper maslin pan that has a wide opening for easy evaporation and a thick base that reduces the chances of the chutney or jam sticking and burning.

My jars and lids are bought specifically for the market stall and are not second hand. I sterilize them by washing jars and lids in very hot soapy water, rinsing in hot water and then placing the wet, unlidded jars upside down on a baking sheet, the lids are placed on a second baking sheet and everything is placed in a fan oven at 130C for 30 minutes by which time the jars will have dried. I turn off the oven leaving the jars inside to cool a little ready for the chutney once it has finished cooking.