All Spiced Apple Chutney

Guest post from Charleh Dickinson from Designed2Eat. 

Welcome to Bramley Apple Week 2015!

When I heard that it was Bramley Apple Week this week, I was very excited. Ever since I was little, I remember my mother always making something with Bramely apples: apple turnovers, apple crumble, baked apple, apple sauce, apple tarte tatin and apple upside down cake. So, basically, seriously yummy puddings for one week….and maybe the week after.

Throughout the week, I will be writing about the facts you never knew about apple from their nutrition, how they brought Isaac Newton great ideas and like today: how the Bramley Apple began in the UK. Finally, you can dine into this easy All Spiced Apple Chutney recipe which has a tangy, sweet flavour which is perfect with thinly sliced pork and chicken.
It’s important to note that I used red onions. White onions are great for soups and curry but when it comes to chutneys, you will need red onion because they will give you the extra sweetest which will only intensify in time.

If you are gluten free, you may not have had chutney in a long time! Many chutney’s in the supermarkets use malt vinegar which is not gluten free. I have use white vinegar which works just as well and is gluten free!

Also, if you are diabetic, chutney is a big NO, NO! The traditional chutney recipe is packed full of sugar! Sugar is very harmful for anyone’s body and can lead to many health issues such as fatty acid liver disease, metabolic syndrome as well as diabetes. Sugar can even alter your mood and make you more tired over longer periods of time!
In this All Spiced Bramley Apple Chutney Recipe, I have used honey simply because it is cheap and natural. If you would like a lower GI chutney, using agave, coconut palm sugar and coconut nectar will work just as well.
So…..

Where did the Bramley Apple start: The History.

1809

The first Bramley tree grew from pips planted by a young girl, Mary Ann Brailsford, in her garden in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England.

Today
The old nickname for the Bramley was “The King of Covent Garden” and still exists today in the New Covent Garden Market, where all specialist fruit wholesales can offer Bramleys to their customers for 12 months of the year.

The original Bramley apple tree continues to bear fruit to this day. Those few pips planted by a little girl in her garden in Nottinghamshire 200 years ago are responsible for what is today a £50 million industry, with commercial growers across Kent, East Anglia and the West Midlands.

Thank you to Spiced Kitchen for supplying the spices for this delicious recipe and here is where you can buy them from! http://www.spicekitchenuk.com/collections/spice
When buying spices, the highest quality and freshest are always best and will intensify flavour explosions in every meal that you make!

All Spiced Apple Chutney:
Duration: 180 minutes
Serves: 1 - 2 Large Jars

Ingredients
• 225g red onions, chopped
• 900g apples, cored and chopped
• 110g sultanas, raisins or chopped dates
• 15g ground coriander
• 15g paprika
• 15g mixed spice
• 1 star anise
• 3g sea salt
• 340g honey
• 425ml white vinegar

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a crockpot pan and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for 1½-3 hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.
3. When it is very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fill with liquid, the chutney is ready.
4. Turn into sterilised jars, seal and cool.
5. Recommend storing in a cool, dark cupboard for two to three months before eating, however, I ate all mine straight away!

Thank you to Spiced Kitchen for supplying the spices for this delicious recipe and here is where you can buy them from! https://www.spicekitchenuk.com/collections/spice