Runner Bean Chutney Recipe

First, choose your preserving jars (glass is best, and the number required will depend on how large they are; as a rough guide, the larger jars of shop-bought pickle hold about 520g). You will need to sterilise your jars before you can use them; wash the jars, then rinse and drain them. Put them in a preheated oven at 120°C for 15 minutes, and be sure to fill them quickly – if you start sterilising the jars at the point in the recipe when you add the vinegar and turmeric, they should be ready to use just as you need them. You can also sterilise jars by boiling them in water for 10 minutes, then draining them on a clean tea towel and drying them in a hot oven. If you are using Kilner-type jars, boil the rubber seals in water rather than putting them in a hot oven.

To make your chutney, fill a large saucepan with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and bring it up to the boil, then add the prepared beans and shallots. Bring the pan back up to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the beans can be pierced easily with the point of a sharp knife. Drain and beans and shallots and put them in a food processor. Process them until they are roughly chopped (don’t let them turn into purée), then put them back into the pan you’ve just used, together with the garlic, ginger, sugar and 700ml of the vinegar. Boil for 15 minutes. Mix the rest of the vinegar with the turmeric, mustard, cornflour and chilli powder, then pour it into saucepan, stirring well to combine, and boil for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool a little, before ladling into your prepared jars and sealing the lids.