Quick Christmas Chutney Recipe

Place a large saucepan over a gentle heat and add the oil. Let it warm briefly, then add the chopped onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened – don’t let them get brown at this stage. Next, stir in the prepared ginger and garlic and cook for two minutes, then increase the heat a little and cook for about 5 minutes – stirring continuously – until the onions start to brown.

Put the chopped apples and figs into the pan, tip in the raisins and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan, grate in about a quarter of the whole nutmeg, then add the cinnamon stick, all-spice, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir it all well to combine, then bring the pan up to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often. Keep an eye on the chutney towards the end of its cooking time, as this is when it is most likely to burn on the bottom of the pan if you don’t keep stirring.

When the liquid in the pan has reduced to about 4 tablespoons’ worth and the dried fruit has plumped up nicely, take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool (stir the chutney once or twice as it cools, to distribute the moisture evenly). Now is a good time to sterilise your jars.

When the jars are ready and the chutney has cooled down a bit, remove the cinnamon stick and spoon it into the jars. Screw the lids on and store in the fridge until needed.