“Old Dowerhouse” chutney

This “Old Dowerhouse” chutney recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs (700g) plums, pref Victorias
• 8oz (225g) green or red tomatoes
• 8oz (225g) onions
• 1.5 lbs (700g) cooking apples weighed after coring and quartering, about 2lb (900g) to start with
• 1lb (450g) stoned raisins
• 4oz (110g) ginger preserved in syrup
• 1/4 oz (5g) finely chopped garlic
• 1 pint (570ml) malt vinegar
• 1.5 lb (700g) Demerara sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 oz (5g) whole dried chilli peppers

Method

1. Wash, half and de-stone the plums.
2. Chop tomatoes roughly.
3. Put tomatoes and plums into large preserving pan.
4. Pass onions, apples, raisins and ginger through a mincer or chop finely in a food processor, add to the pan with the chopped garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt.
5. Tie chillies in a gauze with string and suspend them in the mixture from the handle of the pan.
6. Cook very slowly for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally especially near the end, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Drag a wooden spoon through it, if it leaves a channel imprinted on top for a few seconds without filling up with vinegar then it’s done.
7. Put into hot sterilised jars while chutney is still hot, seal with waxed discs and tight lids. Label when cold.