Spicy Squash and Apple Chutney

dee_mc

Just tried the chutney I made yesterday and it's great (if I do say so myself!) so thought others might like to give it a go.
The beauty of this one is that it can be eaten straight away: even after only 20 hours or so, this tastes mellow and gorgeous (yes, even the vinegar-hating mother loved this one!). Because of the shorter boiling time and smaller quantity of vinegar, it only lasts 6 months or so.
I've posted the recipe as-is, but added my notes in pink as it's vague in places.

Makes 2kg/4lb 8oz (4 500g jars)
Prep time 20 mins (35 mins for me!)
Cooking time 1 hr 5 mins approx. (varies depending on pot size)
Ingredients
4 tbsp. rapeseed/vegetable/sunflower oil
2 large onions, finely chopped (I blitzed them in the processor)
I fat red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
100g/4oz piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly shredded (I used a microplane grater)
15 cardamom pods, bashed open
2 long cinnamon sticks, snapped in half
1 tbsp. black mustard seeds (I couldn't get these, so omitted)
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 fat or 6 smaller garlic cloves, peeled and sliced (I sliced the garlic v thinly but did not chop it, as the chutney should be quite chunky and rustic )
1 kg/2lb 4oz butternut squash or pumpkin flesh, peeled and cut into sugar-cube size pieces (NB this is prepared weight; I used 2 medium butternut squash)
3 Bramley apples (approx. 500g/1lb 2oz), peeled and cut into sugar-cube size pieces (Do use Bramley apples, as it's important that the apple pieces should break down to make a nice base for the other ingredients)
1 tsp ground turmeric
500g/1lb 2oz light soft brown sugar
300ml/half pint cider vinegar
2 tsp salt

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large preserving pan (your largest heavy based pot) then gently fry the onions, garlic, chilli, cardamoms, cinnamon, mustard and cumin seeds together for 5 minutes, until the spices are aromatic.
2. Stir the garlic, squash and apples into the onions, then cook for 10-15 minutes more, until the onions and apples are soft and the squash yields a little here and there (this step took around 22 minutes for me).
3. Stir in the turmeric and sugar and let it melt around the vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes- this process almost candies the chunks of squash, so that it doesn't entirely break down during the next step.
4. Pour in the vinegar, season with 2 tsp salt, then bring the chutney back to a simmer. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 minutes or until the apple has cooked down to make a squishy base for the chutney, with chunks of tender squash here and there, and a little syrupiness at the bottom of the pan- you don't want the chutney to be too dry as it will thicken as it cools.
5. Spoon the hot chutney into sterilised jars and seal. (I used a heat-proof plastic jug: easier than a ladle as it's quite thick and chunky) The chutney can be eaten straight away, or left to mellow in a dark place. You can store it for up to 6 months.

Delicious with goats cheese or cheddar and nice crunchy crackers. Very pleased with this one, next on the to-do list is Mango chutney!