Apple Rhubarb Chutney

I wanted to share the lovely results of our recent trip to Stone Ridge Orchard with you all – apple rhubarb chutney!

I looooove chutney. It’s great with Indian food, on toasted cheese sandwiches with some walnuts, with roast pork, chicken and a million other ways. We tend to stock up on mango chutney whenever we have the good fortune to pass by a Trader Joe’s but since we live in the hinterlands now, that’s pretty rare. But it’s also very easy to make and even tastier and cheaper than anything store bought.

I was planning to make curried apple chutney (which I’d still like to do if I find the time…) until I saw this recipe for apple rhubarb chutney and remembered that we had a big bag of rhubarb from Aunt Maggie’s garden in our chest freezer. Rhubarb is such great stuff – I love its tangy, unique taste and smell and it’s appealing mix of colors – green and pink and red.

The recipe is simple – mix apples and rhubarb with lemon zest and juice, dried cranberries, spices and a BOATload of sugar and cook it down until it’s thick and delicious.

Because of all the sugar, you do need to stir it frequently and watch it to make sure it does not burn or overcook but it’s a pretty manageable project that will make you and your family happy all winter and spring.

The recipe below is adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving – I decreased the sugar (the original recipe calls for 4 cups in case you want to follow it), increased the lemon juice, added a touch of salt and a bunch of fresh ginger and some cloves.

Next: the recipe