It’s St Patrick’s Day tomorrow, rivers will flow green, shamrocks will be in abundance and the world’s population of Irish will multiply by millions as so many will find an ancestor or two that hail from the Emerald Isle.
There are so many wonderful things to conjure with when one thinks of Ireland, but an ever popular image is that of Guinness, the deep, dark brew that lifts the heart of any Irishman worldwide.
I’ve decided to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a homemade Guinness Chutney.
I love making chutney. There is none of the frantic activity and anxiety that can come from those last moments of boiling up a jam and getting the right set.
With chutney making it is a simple case of letting all that goodness bubble away till it sets up all my itself. You just watch and wait and potter around the kitchen doing other stuff while time and heat work their magic on the ingredients you so thoughtfully tossed into the pan.
This was one of my ‘use it or lose it’ type recipes. A case of hauling together bits and bobs from fruit bowl, larder and fridge and hoping for the best.
It starts with an idea – Ah Guinness! and then it’s a case of casting an eye around the kitchen to see what is available. Living in the middle of nowhere means that popping out for a single ingredient would be a total waste of time and petrol, you have to make do with what you have to hand. Use up those few battered apples, that half inch of chilli pepper lurking at the bottom of the fridge alongside the mangled remains of a hunk of ginger that has seen better days but still holds a kick or two and raid the baking box for the raisins left from making all those festive treats.
This is such a simple recipe that doesn’t cost much to make but results in a few choice jars of flavour packed goodness that will kick-start the humblest of sandwiches, ramp up a plate of cold cuts or add some zing to a burger.
It will make 4 small jars of chutney, for more information on making chutneys check out my chutney page in the resources section and make sure you are up on the sterilising of jars too.
Ladies and gentlemen wherever you are this St Patrick’s Day I give you Guinness Chutney!
Karon x
Guinness Chutney
Ingredients
- 350 g/12 oz apples I used 4 peeled and cored
- 125 g/4 oz raisins
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh chilli
- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 125 ml/4 fl oz white wine vinegar
- 125 ml/4 fl oz Guinness
- 150 g/5 oz light muscovado sugar
Instructions
- Chop the peeled and cored apples into small cubes about 1cm in size and cook these along with the raisins, onion, ginger, chilli and mustard seeds until they are soft and tender.
- Don't add any water here just keep stirring, it will take about 15 minutes.
- Add the vinegar, Guinness and sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve completely.
- Raise the temperature to a boil and then lower back to a simmer.
- Let the chutney bubble away for about 2 1/2 hours or until a wooden spoon dragged through will leave a clear trail on the bottom of the pan.
- Ladle into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe says
March 16, 2015 at 1:23 pmfantastic idea
Karon Grieve says
March 19, 2015 at 11:19 amThanks so much.
K x
Sean says
March 16, 2015 at 5:18 pmThe 1/16th of me that has Irish roots raises a pint to you!
Karon Grieve says
March 19, 2015 at 11:18 amCheers Sean!
Jac says
March 16, 2015 at 7:04 pmI need to make this and put it on EVERYTHING. #NOM
Karon Grieve says
March 19, 2015 at 11:18 amHi Jac,
Glad you like the recipe, hope you are enjoying that Guinness Chutney by now.
K x
Alrx says
October 10, 2016 at 8:08 pmhow long will it keep for?
Karon Grieve says
October 12, 2016 at 12:43 pmAbout 6 months
K x
Julie Moreno says
January 9, 2017 at 5:00 amI love this chutney!! I have been experimenting with a lot of different recipes and have sold some of my chutneys at markets. This is the one people keep asking for. I used palm sugar as I could not get muscovado. It is soooo good!!
Karon Grieve says
February 9, 2017 at 10:00 amGlad it was such a success for you Julie
Kx
pat.mcbride says
August 29, 2017 at 2:15 pmcould I use plums in this chutney
Karon Grieve says
September 4, 2017 at 9:22 amYes go ahead, great idea.
K x
Louise says
November 21, 2017 at 10:41 pmWhat size jars do you recommend? You say 4 small jars but what is that in ml or ltrs?
Thanks
Karon Grieve says
November 23, 2017 at 8:12 amAbout 25ml size I think
Karon Grieve says
November 23, 2017 at 8:27 amthink these were about 25ml jars
Jacqui says
August 15, 2018 at 1:47 pmThank you for this recipe so easy to make, made my first batch on Sunday now on to the send back tasted fantastic but only time will tell after it has matured. Roll on Christmas
Karon Grieve says
August 15, 2018 at 2:07 pmHi Jacqui
Glad you like it so much.
K x
Helen says
October 15, 2018 at 1:46 pmHow long are you leaving it to mature?
I’m hoping to eat it ASAP 🙂
Karon Grieve says
October 17, 2018 at 11:35 amI dont rally let it mature. Used it right away.
K x