One of the most useful condiments to have in the larder is chutney. You can use it in so many ways. This delicious easy spiced apricot and almond chutney is packed with flavour and a breeze to make. Once you’ve made your own chutney I promise you’ll never buy the store bought stuff again.
I know with the orange colours etc chutney photos always look a bit autumnal. So why am I posting this chutney recipe just now? Simple, I bought a punnet of apricots the other day and noticed that they weren’t going to last the day.
I hate food going to waste so I thought I’d whip up this super easy spiced apricot and almond chutney so I could enjoy all that juicy apricot flavour any time I like.
What is chutney?
Chutney hails from India. In fact it is often referred to as Indian chutney and the term covers all sorts of sauces to accompany Indian cuisine. You have fresh chutneys that are meant to be used immediately and preserved chutney like this gorgeous golden chutney I’m making here.
Chutneys are usually a mixture of fruits and vegetables with herbs and spices and they are there to provide a balance to the different array of Indian dishes. They are a bit like a salsa in Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients for this apricot chutney
Fresh apricots, onions (you must have onions for a good chutney), garlic, apple, yellow pepper, sultanas. And all those gorgeous spicy bits; ginger, chilli, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Then you need cider vinegar and sugar which are what bring everything together, stabalise the chutney and make it last as well as taste great too.
Oh and almonds, I had some left over flaked almonds so threw them in too.
How to make chutney
Oh my friends chutney is so easy to make. If you are a total novice at preserving then chutney is a great place to start. Basically you just start with a bit of chopping. You want to stone and chop the apricots, yellow pepper, apple and onion. Try to get the fruit and veg pieces to similar size, about a 1cm dice is great.
Mince the garlic, ginger and the chilli. Now chuck everything into a non reactive (not aluminium as you are using vinegar) pan along with all your lovely spices, the vinegar and sugar. The only thing you are not throwing in just now is the flaked almonds. Keep them till the last moment.
Start heating up the pan to let the sugar dissolve completely then bring it to the boil. Lower the heat a little and let your chutney bubble away. All those lovely apricot, apple and pepper chunks will start to soften beautifully.
The kitchen will smell amazing as all those lovely fruits and spices blend together and do their thing.
Stir the pan now and then to make sure that the chutney isn’t sticking to the bottom. Your chutney is ready when you can draw your wooden spoon along the bottom of the pan and it leaves a clear trail before the chutney creeps back over it again. Chuck in the almonds and stir them through.
All you have to do now is ladle your spiced apricot and almond chutney into sterilised jars.
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in the preserving stakes in no time at all!
Just check out these quick articles to get you started;
How long will this apricot chutney keep?
This will keep unopened for up to a year stored in a cool dark cupboard. Once you have opened your chutney store it in the fridge and use it up within a month.
How much chutney does this recipe make?
I got 4 x 250ml jars of my spiced apricot and almond chutney from this recipe. Just double up the quantities if you want to make more.
How to serve spiced apricot and almond chutney
- With a curry, okay so that’s an obvious one.
- As I’ve done here on a toasted cheese sandwich, chutney loves cheese!
- As part of a cheeseboard.
- With burgers and hotdogs.
- At a BBQ, it goes with everything from steaks to kebabs.
- Alongside meats like chicken, pork, beef or turkey or lamb.
- Chutney adds an element of spice to a roast dinner.
- With a good old traditional ploughman’s lunch.
- On top of a round of baked brie with bread and crudities to dip into all that savoury creamy goodness.
- Watered down a little and used as a glaze for all sorts of meats before roasting or putting on the BBQ.
Have I whetted your appetite now for making chutney? I do hope so. Here are some other easy chutney recipes for you to have a go at making;
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Easy spiced apricot and almond chutney
Equipment
- non reactive pan, sterilised jars
Ingredients
- 400 g apricots chopped into 1cm pieces
- 1 yellow pepper chopped into 1 cm pieces
- 1 apple cored and chopped into 1cm pieces
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 50 g sultanas
- 1 tbsp ginger fresh ginger minced
- 1 garlic clove garlic minced
- 1 red chilli fiinely minced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 200 ml cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp almonds flaked almonds
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients (apart from the flaked almonds) into a non reactive (not aluminium as this doesn't like vinegar) and heat till sugar has dissolved
- Raise the heat to a boil then lower slightly so it keeps bubbling for about 20 minutes
- You will know when the chutney is ready when you can drag your wooden spoon through the bottom of pan and it leaves a clear trail
- Stir in the flaked almonds
- Ladle into sterilised jars, cover with a disc of waxed paper and pop on the lids
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