There’s something deeply satisfying about transforming a glut of Bramley apples into jars of golden, glossy chutney that will brighten your meals for months to come. This isn’t just about preserving fruit—it’s about capturing the essence of autumn in a cupboard favourite that’s equal parts sweet, tangy, and gloriously spiced.
Homemade Apple Chutney: Autumn’s Golden Preserve
Apple chutney is one of those magical recipes that turns humble ingredients into liquid gold. The natural sweetness of apples provides the perfect canvas for warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Whilst a splash of vinegar adds the essential tang that makes chutney so irresistible. As it bubbles away on the stove, your kitchen fills with the most incredible aromas of autumn.
If you’re lucky as I am, the surrounding neighbours all have buckets of picked/fallen apples outside of their houses with a welcoming ‘help yourself’ sign.
This year, we had great fun back in Cornwall with the family, picking the apples from a very well established Bramley apple tree. It’s been a great year, there is certainly no shortage of apples, but will I have enough jars?!
Apple Chutney is the perfect partner
The beauty of homemade chutney lies in its versatility. It’s the perfect companion to a ploughman’s lunch, transforms a simple cheese sandwich into something special, and adds depth to roast pork. Whether you’re using windfall apples from the garden, varieties that are past their eating prime, or simply want to make the most of a good market find, this chutney recipe will become your go-to way of preserving apple season’s bounty.
Best of all, once you’ve mastered the basic technique, you can experiment. Try additions of other fruits, vegetables and spices, like cardamon, chilli, to create your own signature blend.
Other preserve recipes
- Tomato ketchup
- Fig chutney
- Quick pickled red onions
- Sage pesto
- Gut-friendly pickled red cabbage
- Kale pesto
I would always choose Bramley apples when making chutney. It’s a tart apple that breaks down well to create a soft texture.
Ensure when you pick your apples in the autumn you dry them thoroughly. Wrap them carefully in newspaper and gently layer in a box. Stored in a cool, dark place, they should still be good until late winter. The secret is to handle them super gently. Any bruising and your beautiful apple crop will go bad.
Sealed tightly in sterilised jars, and stored in a cool and dark place, your apple chutney should be good for over a year. Be sure to label well so you know the vintage. I won’t say how old some of my Mum’s jars are 😉
To sterilise jam jars, ensure they are completely clean, and place in an oven at 160° C for 15 minutes.
Apple Chutney
Equipment
- preserving pan or a heavy based large pan
- 4 sterilised jam jars
Ingredients
- 225 g onions
- 900 g Bramley apples
- 100 g sultanas
- 15 g ground coriander
- 15 g paprika
- 10 g mixed spice
- 10 g sea salt
- 340 g caster sugar
- 400 ml malt vinegar
Instructions
- Chop your onions, core and chop your apples to around 1cm cubes, and add both to your pan.
- Stir in all the spices, salt, sugar and vinegar.
- Set over a medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until boiling and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so to ensure it doesn’t stick on the bottom.
- The finished apple chutney should be a thick consistency – it’s ready when you drag the wooden spoon over the surface and it leaves a trail for a few seconds.
- When it’s ready, simply add to the sterilised jars and seal tightly.
Notes
- I have used Bramley apples. You ideally want a tart apple to make chutney, not a sweet eating apple.
- This apple chutney will keep for over 12 months, stored in well sealed sterilised jars in a cool dark place.
- To sterilise jam jars, ensure they are completely clean, and place in an oven at 160° C for 15 minutes.
