
Chutney's something I do actually eat (as opposed to jam, which I'm not big on). So I hunted around online, read a few recipes, got an idea in my head and then consulted Stephanie (Alexander, that is). She doesn't have a quince chutney in The Cook's Companion, but she has a peach one which was enough to give me proportions. That's what I've based this on. I think it turned out very well indeed. It should be noted that if I cost out the chutney including buying the jars, the sugar and vinegar and my time, it's probably a lot more expensive than the good old supermarket chutney which I am quite happy to eat usually. But this does have that very special ingredient, yes, you guessed it (insert groan here): luuurve. Awww.

Pear and quince chutney
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large quinces (approx 1.3kg), peeled, cored and chopped
4-5 pears (approx 780g), peeled, cored and chopped into 2cm chunks
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup crystalised ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
3 cups apple cider vinegar
the most time-consuming hands-on part of this recipe is chopping everything up. Quinces are pain to peel and chop, but you can be rough - it won't matter in the finished product. I like to leave some larger chunks of quince because I like to be able to see and taste them in the chutney. If you like a more homogenous texture, cut them into small pieces. Chop and measure everything out, then you're ready to go.
Put sugars, vinegar and onion into a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer, dissolving the sugar. Add all the other ingredients and bring back to the boil, then boil quite vigorously for about 1-11/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until it's reached a chutney-like texture.
Pack into sterilised jars (wash and dry in the dishwasher, then put into a 120C oven for 20 minutes) and seal. I think it should mellow with keeping. Really nice with cheese!
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1 comment:
Sounds great. The last chutney I made was feijoa.
For a bit of light relief, you might enjoy this Cartoon
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